Comfort Me With Pancakes

I have a secret to share with you. Yes, I'm just going to come out with it, right here at the beginning of this post. I hope you won't feel differently about me. Here goes...I am slightly neurotic, of the obsessive-compulsive variety. And for those of you who know me well, you also know that what I just said is an under-exaggeration, probably a big one. Now, I do think that OCD lies on a continuum and I would probably place myself somewhere in the middle. Okay, maybe slightly to the upper side of middle. But I'm certainly not like those really extreme cases you see on Oprah or TLC where the person has some ritual of turning off the stove 20 times in a row, or locking the door half a billion times before they can leave the house. Really people, I'm not that crazy. But as some of you already know... I do live by a lot of rules. They are rules of my own making of course, because as my sweetie likes to point out every now and again, when I'm being particularly rebellious, I do not like being told what to do (or what not to do!) I'm guessing it's got something to do with the German, Irish and Italian blood running through these veins, all three cultures of which are known to possess at least a smidgen of stubbornness.

So about these rules...let me enlighten you with a few examples. One rule I have is that I never watch a movie more than once. Well, maybe not never, but rarely. There are just too many good movies out there and life is too short to watch the same ones over and over. I'd be wasting time, and time is a precious commodity to someone with OCD. And while we're on the topic of movies, I almost never watch movies by myself. Documentaries, yes. Movies, no. Even I can't really explain that one. Another rule I have is that I don't allow eating in the bed. I know plenty of people who love to lie in bed watching movies and eating their favorite snacks. Well, mostly men, really. But that is not allowed in my house. I can't think of too many ickier things than crawling into bed and feeling crumbs on the sheets. One more rule, just to give you a better picture of who you're dealing with...the kitchen drawers below where the coffee pot sits need to be tightly closed before pulling out the bag of sugar to doctor your coffee. Now that one makes perfect sense, doesn't it?

And to these rules...and a multitude of other rules... I strictly adhere. Most of my rules have to do with cleanliness, as I am a neat freak, and the others govern my daily routines. I know what some of you are thinking. My AJ must be a saint to put up with all of this anal-retentive madness. And you'd be right. Oh, so right. Usually, when I'm spouting some nonsense about yet another rule, he looks at me with his head cocked to the side, trying to figure out if I'm joking or being serious, and either way, he just laughs and goes on about his day, letting it all roll off his back. Well, most of it. He does close the drawers below the coffee pot when making his morning coffee... which he proudly points out to me on a regular basis!

So as you can imagine, someone who likes their rules and routines has a hard time with change. Even the good kinds of change. And as of late, I've been more than a little stressed out. Change is on its way - I can smell it in the air. And I'm not just talking about the Fall weather. Remember all those months ago, when my sister and I first started this blog, and I talked about wanting to find a new job? Well, I think I'm almost there. I say "almost" because I'm not 100% certain yet, but I have gone to three interviews for a Program Director position, and I'm thinking that is a pretty good sign. I'm supposed to find out by the end of the week. Part of me is freaked out that I won't get the job, and part of me is freaked out that I will. Because then I actually have to do the job, and what if I don't know what I'm doing?! ( Did I mention that as someone with OCD tendencies, I also have a little extra anxiety on hand?) Of course, I'd much rather find a job getting paid to eat, or write, or sit on my couch and read books while drinking tea and nibbling on homemade cookies, but until that job comes along, I think this other one will work out pretty nicely.

The other big thing in the works is that I'm trying to get my house ready to be put on the market. And for those of you who have never gotten a house ready for sale, let me just tell you that it takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears... oh, and a considerable amount of money, of which I do not have an abundance. (Lottery gods, are you listening?) And the strange irony behind getting your house beautified for sale is that it ends up looking more fantastic than it ever did when you lived there. You limped along with the paint that needed touch-ups, and the aging appliances, and the cracked faucet, and the new owners get to walk into a picture-perfect house. Which works out in the end, I suppose, if the next house you buy is as sparkling as the one you just left. But I have come to the conclusion that even though my house will look terrific with all the updates, it is just a little too cozy. My house is the perfect size for two adults, even for two adults and one child, but not for two adults and two children, fast galloping into their preteen years. The house feels like it's getting smaller by the second...and for a person who likes "a place for everything, and everything in its place", this is an ongoing, full-scale battle... a battle, sadly, that I am not winning.

There is also a trip to Orlando planned for December, and a trip in its beginning planning stages to Israel next July, and a weekend trip to Bend this Fall for a literary conference. And when I take a moment for a time-out from all this anxious stressing, I really can appreciate all the goodness that lies ahead in the coming months. I mean, really, what have I got to complain about... the possibility of a new job, a new house, two major vacations and a weekend getaway... I know there is a lesson to be learned here. Something to do with appreciating the journey as much as the end result, maybe?

So as I'm forging my way through these stressful, yet full-of-promise, upcoming months, I sometimes need some comfort food. (You knew I was getting to the food part somewhere in all this.) I try not to turn to comfort food too often, since I don't want to get as big as the house I'm trying to sell, and have yet another thing to stress about. But sometimes, a comfort food meal does wonders for the soul - especially when it's breakfast food served for dinner. I recently came across a yummy recipe for berry pancakes in a Rachel Ray magazine that I modified to my liking. The original recipe calls for raspberries and blueberries, but unless you have fresh raspberries on hand, I would recommend leaving them out. Thawed-out frozen raspberries make a pretty soggy pancake in my experience, even when you strain them. I usually make a full batch of pancakes, so that I can refrigerate the leftovers and eat them throughout the week.

Berry Pancakes

1 1/2 half cups whole fat plain yogurt (you could substitute low-fat here)

1 egg plus 2 egg whites

1/2 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups flour

1 cup blueberries (or a little more if you wish)

1 Tbs vegetable oil

1. Whisk together the yogurt, egg and egg whites, the water and the vanilla until smooth. Then whisk in the baking soda and salt, and then the flour, just until blended. Stir in the vegetable oil and then the blueberries.

2. Take 1/4 cupfuls and drop them onto a skillet over medium heat. (I use a non-stick skillet so I don't have to use any extra oil or butter in the cooking process.) Watch for lots of bubbles to appear on the surface of the pancake (about 3 minutes), which means it's ready to be flipped. Cook the second side for about 1 minute.

These pancakes taste great with maple syrup or just with powdered sugar and extra berries. Hope they bring a little comfort your way. 

Enjoy!

- Colleen

The Most Magical Day

As many of you already know, my sister got married last weekend at Mt. Hood Organic Farm, outside of Hood River, OR. It was an absolutely beautiful event, on a perfect, clear sunny day, in the most picturesque setting imaginable.

Photo by Leah Abbott

 
And everyone is still talking about it... about how stunningly beautiful Heather was in her frothy, white gown and lace shrug, about how the happy couple couldn't stop beaming all day long, about how amazing the scenery was, about all the homemade touches that made the event so unique and personal, but mostly about how much fun everyone had! And about how blessed everyone felt to be taking part in the union of two people who are obviously meant to be together, surrounded by family and friends who truly love them. It was a magical day filled with love and laughter, joy and celebration.

Photo by Leah Abbott

Of course, this beautiful day was not without lots of behind-the-scenes work by many family and friends (thank you so much to all of you!!) I, myself, made the cakes for my sister's big day. Yes, you read that correctly... If you would have asked me a couple of years ago if I would consider making the cakes for my sister's wedding, I would surely have looked at you as if you had lost your mind. Me? Make the cakes for a wedding? For my favorite sister in the whole world? Such potential for disaster! I would have shaken my head in wonder that you would even suggest such a thing, and then would have rambled on about how that would just be too scary, too stressful, too much to do, too many people depending on me, too many palates to please, too many eyes on me, just... too much!  But somehow, that is exactly what happened... I did make the cakes for my sister's wedding, and it was a complete and total success... so many compliments and smiling faces that I felt like I was floating on a cloud (of course, the glasses of wine I had to drink probably also played a small part in this!). And here I am a week later, still slightly dazed by the whole thing, wondering how in the world did I pull that off?

The idea started percolating in the minds of the Stumptown Sisters sometime last year. We had both read Molly Wizenberg's book A Homemade Life and absolutely adored both the author and her story. In her book, Molly talks about making the cakes for her own wedding , the "Winning Hearts and Minds" chocolate cake, and she made twenty of them. Heather and I both thought this was an intriguing idea - homemade cakes for a wedding - nothing too fancy-pants or pretentious, just down-to-earth, delicious cakes, made from scratch with love, to be shared with all of the people we care about most. As we daydreamed about what kind of wedding Heather might have, and what time of year it would take place, and what colors she wanted to have, we continued tossing around the idea of making our own cakes... though I must admit, that somewhere in the back of my mind I secretly held onto reservations that this wasn't really practical or possible.

And then one day last Fall, we were hiking my favorite trail, Eagle Creek, and we were once again talking weddings and recipes and cakes, and all of a sudden, it didn't seem like such a crazy idea anymore. Maybe it was the magic I feel sure that this trail possesses - or more likely just the adrenaline running through my body as we trudged up the steep incline - but whatever it was, the idea of baking the cakes for Heather's wedding seemed completely doable, and what's more, I knew without a doubt that I would bake them, however many that turned out to be!

Photo by Leah Abbott

 
And so, since we were inspired by Molly Wizenberg to begin with, we had to make some of the "Winning Hearts and Minds" chocolate cakes. (These cakes are rich chocolate and velvety, almost like a molten cake in the middle, but served at room temperature, not warm. Mmmm....)  And to these we added some of the Irish Guinness cakes that I talked about in an earlier blog. And finally we added one of my favorite cake recipes, an Orange Almond cake, that is so simple to make, and yet so fragrant and delicious. We chose all three of these cakes partly because we knew (after putting each cake to the test) that they could be made ahead of time and frozen until the day before the wedding. (The secret to them keeping so well is to carefully, but tightly, wrap each cake in several layers of plastic wrap and then to wrap them completely in heavy duty aluminum foil before putting them in the freezer. Thaw them out starting 24 hours before they are to be served. Let them thaw still completely wrapped in all their layers and they will not disappoint.)

In all, I baked nine cakes, three of each kind, and with the addition of a beautiful and delicious carrot cake that Heather's friend Mike so generously made, the cake table looked decadent.... each cake laid out beautifully on it's own antique cake plate, atop a tablecloth made from the lace veil our mother wore at her wedding, with little pitchers of homemade raspberry sauce to be drizzled over slices of cake...sigh... if only I had taken a picture of this lovely scene....(you will have to use your imaginations here).  Since I have already shared about the Irish Guinness cake, and have provided the link for you to read about Molly's "Winning Hearts" cake, I will share with you the recipe for the Orange-Almond cake which I found online a couple of years ago, posted by a woman named Jeanne  Lemlin....

Orange-Almond Cake

• 7 to 8 oz almond paste (not marzipan!)
• 1 stick unsalted butter, very soft
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau)
• Grated zest from 1 orange 
• 5 large eggs, room temp
• 1/2 cup cake flour (such as Softasilk)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• powdered sugar for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-in springform pan, cover the bottom with a round of parchment paper, butter the paper, and then dust the whole pan with flour. Set aside.
2. Break the almond paste into smaller chunks and then place it in a food processor. Process for several seconds until the paste looks grainy, like the texture of couscous. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, or in a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes. Add the processed almond paste, orange liqueur, and orange zest. Beat until well-blended, approximately 2 minutes or so. 
4. Beat in each egg, one at a time, until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, approx. 2 minutes. Add the flour and baking powder and beat for about 30 seconds or so, just until all the ingredients are combined.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. The sides of the cake will have started to shrink away from the edges of the pan. Cool the cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove the outer ring of the pan. (The cake might sink a little in the middle - this is normal) Invert the cake onto a plate in order to remove the bottom of the pan, then invert the cake back onto the wire rack to cool completely. Before serving, dust the cake with powdered sugar.

This cake tastes great with the raspberry sauce, or with fresh fruit and whipped cream...or with all of the above!!

Enjoy!
-Colleen

Brownies... The Portable Treat

It appears that summer is finally upon is, and so is my desire to go on a good long hike. One where you feel like you could hike forever into the increasingly beautiful scenery, where the trees have been towering over the trail for hundreds of years, where the birds are chirping, where you just want to see what's around the next bend, and the next... until you turn around to start heading back to the trailhead and you discover that you might have overestimated your strength and stamina just a wee bit, and then it hits you with a sinking realization that your legs have turned to spaghetti, and with a big sigh (that you try, perhaps unsuccessfully, to keep from your hiking partners) you come to the understanding that it is going to feel like an eternity before you come stumbling off the trail and can collapse into your car. You might even experience a moment of panic where you wonder if you are ever going to make it back to your car alive. But then you snap yourself out of it, and remember that you are a Girl Scout and a foodie at heart, and even if you had to spend the night huddled by the side of the trail, which you've never actually had to do, you've got a jacket and plenty of snacks! Hmm... does it sound like I'm speaking from experience?

Yes, my sister and I have done our fair share of hikes, and not always in fair weather. We have hiked in the blistering sun, in the snow, in mist, drizzle, sprinkles, showers, torrential downpours, thunder storms and any other euphemisms you can come up with for wet, rainy conditions. (Oregonians are especially good at coming up with these colorful descriptions of wet weather. I guess you have to get creative when most days between October and May... okay, okay, October and July, consist mainly of the wet stuff!)

A few years ago, Heather and I went to Montana for a couple of weeks in the middle of summer. We stayed in our favorite town of Bozeman, and as soon as we got our campsite set up, we started mapping out all the outdoor activities we wanted to do over the ensuing days. We didn't have any time to waste - our list was too long, and our vacation was too short, so we had to get the party started, as they say. High on the to-do list was a lengthy hike (approximately 24 miles round trip) up to a lake, just outside of town. In hindsight, it might have been a good idea to take a few extra minutes and check into the weather forecast for the week. But alas, youthful impatience and exuberant optimism won out, and as we discovered too late, the day we chose to do this particular hike the temperature was in the upper 90's. And while we usually liked to pick trails that ran alongside a stream or a small river, this trail was as dusty and dry as they come, with only the distant promise of a lake once we reached the summit. (Picture a couple of cowgirls, riding down a dusty trail, on a hot summer day, with a cloud of dirt in their wake, and that would be us... only without the horses, which as it turns out, would have come in very handy.)

We started out with smiles and ample energy, and lots of conversation. But as the sun reached higher in the sky, and the temperature continued to climb, the sweat started to pour, and the chatter dwindled. The hike was losing its charm by the minute. It didn't help that the horse flies were relentless, and we had neglected to bring any bug spray. (Oh, where were my Girl Scout instincts then?!) We started to develop chafing and chapping, and in our sun-induced delirium, started talking about inventing underwear infused with Gold Bond powder to help with chapping in some specific areas... which I will not mention further.

Most sane people would have thrown in the towel, admitted defeat, and headed back to the car to eat their picnic lunch in air-conditioned comfort. But not the Wonder Twins - we were going to make it to that damn lake if it killed us! And make it we did, complete with battle scars to prove our accomplishment. And I'll tell you what, that lake was not worth the sweat equity we put in to reach it. It was... well, ordinary to say the least. There was hardly any shade to speak of, and by this point we were pretty darn miserable. In fact, it was completely disappointing. And while we sat there eating the food we had carried on our backs up the mountain, those horrible, nasty flies continued to bite us. (So, after describing this lovely hike to all of you, if there are any interested parties, just email me and I would be happy to send you directions to the trailhead - ha-ha.)

In case you're left wondering if I've ever been on any relaxing, peaceful, inspiring hikes, I have. My favorite local hike is the Eagle Creek trail off of Highway 84 (exit 41) - it has everything you need for a perfect hiking experience, water, trees, breath-taking cliffs, and beautiful bridges... and no horse flies or other biting creatures. But there is one thing I have noticed when it comes to hiking, something all hikes have in common, whether they are awe-inspiring or just ho-hum... the food you eat along the way. I don't mean that the food is anything special. In fact, it's usually quite the opposite, things like PB&J sandwiches, fruit, some trail mix, maybe some Oreo cookies. But somehow it doesn't matter what it is, after a long hike it always seems like the best food you've ever eaten in your life. A PB&J sandwich feels like a gourmet delicacy. Well, okay, that might be stretching it just a bit, but you have to admit, if you've ever gone hiking you know just what I'm talking about.

Which brings me to the recipe I want to share with you today. A recipe for cream-cheese swirled brownies that make the perfect portable treat to take along on a hike, or a picnic, or a bike ride, or wherever your summer activities take you. These brownies really are delicious. You won't need to work up a sweat just to appreciate them, though that would probably make them even better. This recipe is actually a combination of two different recipes, one from Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts and the other from a recipe that my mother had. The brownie has a cake-like texture, not the dense fudgy kind that some recipes make, which in my opinion makes it a little easier to transport!

Cream Cheese Swirled Brownies

Brownie:

• 5 oz. unsweetened chocolate (like the Baker's chocolate bars in the baking aisle)
• 1 1/2 sticks (6 oz) butter
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour (sift the flour first, then measure out a cup)

Cream Cheese mixture:

• 8 oz. cream cheese (regular, not low-fat)
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter and line a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 in jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil. (Maida Heatter has a good trick for doing this. Flip the pan upside down and then center a piece of foil about 18 to 19 in long over the pan, shiny side down. Fold down the sides and corners to shape the foil to the pan. Then take the foil off, flip the pan back over, and then carefully press the now-molded foil into place.) Then butter the foil.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat (or in a double boiler). Whisk to blend. Once thoroughly melted and mixed, remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Beat the eggs and salt in a stand mixer until slightly fluffy. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat on medium-high speed for 10 minutes or so until the mixture forms a "ribbon" when the beater is raised. 
4. Add the almond and vanilla extracts to the cooled chocolate mixture. Then on the lowest mixing speed add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture, beating only enough to blend. You will probably need to stop here and scrape down the bowl as well. 
5. Still using the lowest speed, add the flour, beating just enough to blend. Pour into the prepared pan and use a rubber spatula to spread smooth. 
6. Combine the cream cheese, the egg, the sugar and salt and beat well, until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Spoon or pour the cream cheese mixture onto the wet brownie mixture in two parallel lines running the longest direction of the pan.Then take a butter knife and run the knife in a z-pattern back and forth across the pan in the shortest direction. This will make a neat swirl pattern in your brownies. Don't over swirl them, as this will make the pattern look messy.
7. Put the pan in the oven and immediately turn the oven down to 400 degrees. Bake for approximately 22 minutes. The cream cheese mixture may look like it's not done, but will firm up as the brownies cool. 
8. Remove from the oven. Let cool for about five minutes on a baking rack, then cover pan with baking rack and flip over. Remove the pan and foil from the brownies. Then cover the brownies with another rack or large cookie sheet (even a lightweight cutting board would work) and flip back over so that they are right side up. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

I hope these brownies find their way into your backpack or picnic basket this summer! Enjoy!

- Colleen

The Scent of Strawberries

Sometimes, when we were kids, my sister and I would stay at my grandparent's house when my parents went out of town. This didn't happen that often, so it was a little like a mini-adventure each time we went to stay. Once there and settled in, I had a ritual of making a slow circuit of the house, looking at all of my grandmother's shelves and cabinets to see if any of the knick-knacks and doo-dads had changed or moved. I don't remember that anything ever did. And there was something oddly soothing in the fact that things were always in their place, just where I remembered seeing them the last time. My grandma's house was not very big, and the entire journey around the house probably took less than ten minutes, but it always ended in one place...in front of the china cabinet that held a special candle. The candle was a small white teacup resting on a matching saucer, and the two pieces were decorated with strawberries and blossoms. But the best part was the strawberry scented candle that filled that teacup. Each time I went to Grandma's, I asked her to take the candle down off the shelf so I could hold it, and then I'd slowly take a big whiff of the intoxicating strawberry scent.

A few years ago, it was time to move Grandma into a retirement home, and as we packed up her house, and she decided what to keep and what to give away, we came across the strawberry teacup candle. She smiled when she handed it over to me, remembering how much I had always loved it as a child. Today, the candle sits on my bookshelf in my living room, reminding me of my grandmother and her life-long love of everything strawberry. I decided that when my grandmother passes on, I am going to burn the strawberry candle in her honor, and let the heavenly scent of strawberries float with her on her journey. I have not told my grandmother that this is what I plan to do, but somehow I know that it would make her tremendously happy to be remembered with our favorite strawberry candle.

I thought of my grandmother this weekend, as I went strawberry picking out on Sauvie Island with my mom and sister. I know that in her younger years, she would have loved to have been out there with us. There is something magical about being in a field of strawberry plants and breathing in the sweet smell of freshly ripe strawberries. And eating them as you pluck them off the stem is simply divine (after carefully inspecting them for dirt and bugs, of course!). This is something we do every year, at least once during strawberry season, and Saturday was a beautiful day for it - plenty of sunshine and cool breezes. After meticulously selecting the most perfectly ripened, plumpest strawberries I could find, I couldn't wait to get home and try a new recipe that I had found in The Oregonian. The recipe is by Deborah Madison and is called a Right-Side-Up Cake. It can be made with any kind of fruit, from apricots, to peaches, to blueberries, to pitted cherries, or any combination that suits your fancy. I had planned to make the cake with strawberries, nectarines and apricots, but after forgetting my apricots and nectarines at my mom's house, I decided I was too impatient to wait and went ahead and made the cake with only the strawberries. It came out very tasty and doesn't dirty a lot of dishes... a win-win after being in the strawberry fields for a couple of hours!

*Note- I ate this cake the first day I made it and again the following two days (hey, somebody had to taste-test the cake!) and the almond flavor definitely intensified over time. I will post the original recipe but note that I would reduce the almond extract to 1/8 tsp, and might even experiment with removing it altogether to give a more subtle almond flavor. Also, though the cake was delicious with only one type of fruit, I think it would be even better with two or three varieties in combination.

Right-Side-Up Cake

Topping:

• 1 1/2 cups fruit (chopped to small pieces)
• 2 Tbs granulated sugar

Cake:

• 3 1/2 oz almond paste (not marzipan)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp almond extract (again, I would probably use 1/8 tsp next time)
• 1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
• 2/3 cup corn flour (not cornmeal, I used Bob's Red Mill)
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• powdered sugar, for dusting top of cake

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 5-by-8-inch springform pan with butter. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper and butter this as well.
   
2. For the topping, toss the fruit and sugar in a medium bowl and set aside.
   
3. In a food processor, combine the almond paste and sugar and pulse until evenly combined. Add the butter and pulse until well combined. With the machine running, add the eggs, one at a time, until well-blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the vanilla and almond extracts and the sour cream. Blend until smooth.
   
4. In a medium bowl (or on a large piece of wax paper, so as not to dirty another bowl!), mix the corn flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixer and pulse 3 times. Add the second half and pulse another 3 times. Scrape the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated and then pulse 3-4 more times.
   
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Pile the fruit over the top. Bake in the center of the oven until lightly browned and springy when pressed with a fingertip, about 1 hour or slightly longer.
6. Let stand for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Dust with powdered sugar. Let cool to room temperature before slicing. Can be served with whipped cream and fresh fruit if desired.
   

Enjoy!
-Colleen

The Cookies of Life...

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Brenda and I (and her sister Debbie) took off to New York City for a girls' weekend. The mission? To attend an Oprah Live Your Best Life Weekend in honor of the 10th Anniversary of her O Magazine. We had no idea what to expect, and of course, being that it was an Oprah event, we secretly (or maybe not so secretly since we speculated on this with everyone we know!) had hopes of coming home with a new car, or a new house, or a fabulous trip, or maybe a check with which to start a dream business (like the Stumptown Sisters' Bakery Cafe)... One of us might even have had a dream before they left on the trip that when they walked through the door to attend the convention, an Oprah representative handed them a door prize, a check for $10,000!! I won't mention any names, but you get the idea. And don't even try to pretend that you wouldn't have had those same thoughts too. Of course, you would have, it's Oprah we're talking about here!

But alas, that was not to be... Instead, we got to stand in line after annoying line just to be herded like cattle from one event to the next. Even with our pre-purchased tickets we had to stand in line for the opening night welcome event, and each of the three workshops, and for lunch, and for the Oprah event at Radio City Music Hall. And for the bathroom... Needless to say, this did not match up to the posh treatment we were expecting to receive. Though the workshops themselves were certainly inspiring and definitely left an impression on us, the overall event just didn't seem to be organized as well as it could have been, which if I was being perfectly honest, was a little disappointing.

But in the end, we still managed to have a fabulous trip. I mean, come on, we were in Manhattan, after all! We got to go to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, and Ground Zero, and Times Square, and the massive FAO Schwartz store. Plus, we got to eat a slice of real New York pizza. Oh, and we saw Denzel Washington as he came out of a theater where he is starring in a Broadway play. And, as an added bonus, we walked so much I actually lost a few pounds!! Yes, you read that right, I actually lost weight on a vacation. Now if that isn't the icing on the cake, I don't know what is!

But for me, the best part of the trip was getting to know my friend Brenda better. We spent the entire flight back talking nonstop about our lives, and our growing up years, and our relationships. It was one of those bonding moments that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. And for some reason, whenever I think of this trip, a certain phrase from childhood keeps flashing across my mind. Okay, I know this needs some explanation....

Let me just start by saying, I have never been the best gift giver. Don't get me wrong, I always have good intentions, but I am a perfectionist by nature, and when it comes down to selecting a gift, I freak out. Nothing ever seems to be quite right, so I go back and forth on which item to buy the person until I finally just pick something out of sheer desperation. So jump back with me a couple of decades (okay... a couple of decades and a half) to when I was about 10 years old. I was looking forward to going to a friend's birthday party but I needed to find a gift. My ever-patient mother trekked all over the mall with me searching for the perfect gift, and of course, I was starting to panic. Finally, we wandered into the Hallmark store and I found just what I was looking for! I picked out a yellow t-shirt with a big chocolate chip cookie on the front that said...In the Cookies of Life, Good Friends are the Chocolate Chips... I thought this shirt said it all. It was the perfect gift for one of my best friends.

Looking back on this event now, I think I may have been a little ahead of my time. I'm thinking, too, that it might have been just a wee bit cheesy, not exactly the "coolest" gift. But for whatever reason that t-shirt and its slogan made quite the impression on me, and when I think of the trip to NY and the time I spent with Brenda, this phrase flashes like a neon sign across my mind. Because really, what would life be like without good friends and chocolate chip cookies?!

So in honor of this sentiment, I'm going to share with you my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. This recipe is actually for white chocolate chip cookies with pecans (another dessert with pecans, yum!), though you could easily make them with regular chocolate chips and/or with walnuts, which I sometimes do... and they are just as tasty!

White Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
• 1/2 cup shortening (preferably non-hydrogenated)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
  
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 2/3 cup flour
• 1 cup pecans (hand broken into small pieces)
• 12 oz white chocolate chips
  

1. Cream together the butter, shortening, sugar and brown sugar, and salt.
   
2. Add in eggs one at a time and beat until well blended. Add vanilla.
3. Slowly mix in flour and baking soda. Once this is combined well, add in the pecans and chocolate chips and stir to evenly distribute the chips and nuts.
   

*The original recipe says that each step should be stirred by hand. But I'm a weakling and use my stand mixer for this entire recipe. It seems to come out just fine this way as well.

4. If you have time, refrigerate the dough for approximately 45-60 minutes. This helps the cookies to keep their shape and not spread out too much when cooking.
5. Scoop spoonfuls onto a baking sheet ( I like to use a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone baking liner to prevent any sticking) and bake at 375 degrees for 9-10 min.

**Note - You can also make a chocolate cookie variation with this recipe by decreasing the flour to 2 cups and adding 3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa.

Hope you enjoy these as much as us!
-Colleen

P.S. I apologize for the fact that we have been seriously negligent in our blogger duties! But we do have a pretty good excuse... Heather just got engaged in April and is planning her wedding for September! So exciting!! But also a little stressful, and time-consuming, and sometimes exhausting... So we could be a little preoccupied over the next few months, but we will do our best to get back on track with our blog posts. :) Thanks for hanging in there with us!

The Best Chocolate Cake Ever

When we were kids, my sister and I loved to experiment with things. By this, I mean that we made all kinds of crazy contraptions, some that worked, and some that didn't even come close. And frankly, when I think back on some of the things we "invented", I'm surprised that we didn't kill ourselves, or at least cause some serious bodily harm to one another. (I am proud to report that Heather and I both made it through our entire childhoods with no broken bones!) I believe that we follow after my father in this regard... the experiments, I mean... as he is a true scientist at heart, and is forever plotting little (and big) experiments. Just this weekend, he was rambling on about some "test" he and my mother tried with her decades-old stainless steel pots. I think I'll spare you the details on that one....

Once upon a time, when we were about 7 and 9, Heather had the brilliant idea of gluing Lego wheels to the bottom of our tennis shoes, with the plan that we would "skate" down our steep driveway. As you can probably imagine, this idea didn't work out so well, as the little Lego wheels were pretty much crushed under our feet. Then, I had a brainstorm involving taking one of our metal patio chairs and putting each of the four legs into a skate and lashing it in as tightly as possible. This was also meant to be ridden down the same steep driveway and carefully maneuvered onto the grass at the bottom side of the hill. Of course, we didn't have any kind of steering mechanism and the skinny chair legs kept shifting around in the skates, causing the chair to tilt over and the two of us to go careening into the garage door. Once again, not very successful. Though I'm sure we provided lots of good chuckles for our neighbors...

We were a pretty persistent and creative design team however, and despite these less than successful first attempts, we did finally manage to make one "go-kart" contraption that really did work. And if my mother had been there to witness our triumphant race, she probably would have had a heart attack. Or several. Since after tasting the glory, we couldn't get enough of the wind in our hair.... This elaborate plan involved taking our father's hand-cart (or dolly, I think they're called), which could be reconfigured to make a sort-of cart which was meant to be used for doing yard work... but which turned out, with the addition of some patio furniture cushions, to make a fabulous four-wheeled racing kart! We began by "driving" it down our driveway, but this lost its thrill soon enough, so we wheeled our kart down to the nearest cross street, which happened to be a very steep street named Alta. Alta was long enough to have about a dozen or so houses on it with a sidewalk that ran the length of the street, at the end of which was a T-intersection with another, somewhat busier street....So, as I'm sure you can guess by this point, we took turns hopping into the kart and whizzing down the hill with our stomachs in our throats.... with no brakes, no steering wheel, and basically, no where to safely stop the kart, but a small patch of grass off to the side at the bottom of the hill. Just thinking about it now is enough to fill me with terror! There really are some things that parents are better off just not knowing about... at least until much, much later.

So this weekend, in the spirit of experimentation, albeit a much safer and saner brand of experimentation, my sister and I set out to test two different versions of the same recipe. I must give Heather full credit on the discovering of this recipe, since she first heard about it on NPR. The recipe is for Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Guinness Cake and it is out of this world! At this point, I would venture to say that it is my favorite chocolate cake recipe ever. And as someone who likes to bake, I think that is saying alot. Heather recently made this cake for my father's birthday celebration and after tasting and falling in love with it, I decided I needed the recipe too. (If I was being completely honest, I would have to admit that I could not stop thinking about this cake!) So I started looking around online and realized there are actually two versions of this cake, the original from Nigella's website, which I'll call the British version, and the recipe that Heather first used that was posted on the NPR website, which I'll call the American version. The interesting thing about this is that the British version is in metric units, such as grams, milliliters, etc., while the American version is in our standard baking measurements of cups and teaspoons and the converted measurements, while close, were not exactly the same. (The amount of butter used in the British version is almost double that used in the American version!). So you can see why we just had to have a true test kitchen experiment and bake one from each recipe, followed by a taste test. Which is exactly what we did... complete with our kitchen scales and a calculator, and our mother as sous-chef, since she's pretty handy in the kitchen herself...

And the winner??? Well, I think that the final tally put the British version ahead by just a smidgen. However, with only six taste testers, there is probably a pretty big margin of error as far as scientific data goes! Plus, I might have been a little biased towards the British version, since that is the version I chose to bake... and even though it wasn't a competition, I might have been just a little jealous that my sister was the first one to discover this fabulous recipe. And what would the Stumptown Sisters' Test Kitchen be without a little friendly competition?!

I highly recommend that you find some occasion for which you can bake this delicious cake as soon as possible! Trust us, you will be glad you did. It is so easy to make, and you will get rave reviews from friends and family, no matter which version you choose to make. I think it just might become your favorite chocolate cake recipe too!

Enjoy!
-Colleen

Pass the Nuts, Please

As a kid, I didn't care for nuts much. Well, that's not exactly true, I liked nuts just fine all by themselves. Every time we went over to my grandparent's house for a holiday or a birthday get-together, there was always a bowl of cocktail peanuts, or the "fancy" mixed nuts with the cashews and almonds and pecans. My dad and grandpa could eat handfuls of those nuts at a time, and if you didn't stake out a spot near the nut bowl, you just might miss out. Even as a child, I was pretty serious about my food, and in the end, I think I gobbled up my fair share of those nuts.

But nuts in desserts was a whole other story... I was always the child, and the teen, and yes, maybe even the young adult, too, who always requested the brownie, or the chocolate chip cookie, or the ice cream sundae without nuts. I think it may have been a texture thing, but I usually felt like the nuts just got in the way and ruined whatever perfectly good dessert I was eating. And a dessert made entirely of nuts? That wasn't even an option on the menu. I don't believe a slice of pecan pie passed these lips until I was about 30 years old or so. Shocking, isn't it? I know what some of you are thinking... how in the world can I call myself a foodie, and not have tasted pecan pie until I was well into my adult years! I don't even know how I can defend myself on that one... though I am happy to report that my taste buds seem to have matured in the last few years...

A few years ago now, my grandmother came to Christmas dinner at my mother's house, and she brought with her a pecan pie that someone in her retirement home had made. This was a very unassuming and well, rather homely pie, and I'm not really sure what possessed me to try it, given that until then, as a general rule, I just didn't eat nut-infused desserts. But I did try it, and what's more, I liked it! And on that day, a door opened to a whole new category of desserts.... things with nuts! That might have been the best present I got that year.... okay, okay, I'm getting a little carried away now... but I would like to thank my grandmother's friend for baking that pie. I'm guessing she has no idea what a revelation that pie was for me.

And now I'm going to share a gift with you... the recipe for my Caramel Walnut-Pecan Squares, which are a serious crowd-pleaser. The original recipe came from the Fooday section of the Oregonian a few years back. I made them for my co-workers right before the holidays, and have gotten requests to make them again ever since. They are very much like a pecan pie, only in a bar form, and with the addition of walnuts. And to me they taste more carmel-y than a pecan pie. I think you should try them soon, and if you are not a desserts-with-nuts lover, this recipe just might convert you....

(I have to apologize in advance for the picture. Somehow, this picture does not do this dessert bar any justice at all. It really does taste much better than it looks. I promise!)

Caramel Walnut-Pecan Squares

Crust:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (can use regular or baker's sugar)
• 1/2 cup plus 6 Tbs unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 egg
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Filling:

• 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs granulated sugar (again, either type of sugar is fine)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 2 cups toasted and lightly broken pecans*
• 2 cups toasted and lightly broken walnuts*
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10x15 inch baking pan (I used a ceramic lasagna pan, which worked well), and line with parchment paper so that there is at least an inch or so of the paper hanging off at each end (this helps to remove the squares from the pan after they have baked and some of the filling has oozed out).
2. For the crust: In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix well. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, salt and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out into the prepared pan and press the dough evenly into the pan, building up the edges slightly. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until crust begins to brown and set. Remove from oven and cool. Reduce oven to 300 degrees.
3. For the filling: In a medium saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, honey and corn syrup and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once you reach a rolling boil (there should be bubbles in the middle of the pan, as well as the sides), boil for exactly 2 1/2 minutes. (Do not boil for any longer than this or the filling will become too hard and chewy.) Then remove from the heat and stir in cream, salt, vanilla and the nuts. Pour filling into cooled crust and spread evenly. Place the pan on center oven rack and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling in the center. Cool overnight and then cut into squares.

*Note: To toast the nuts, spread them on a baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven for 5 to 8 minutes or until brown. Keep a close eye on them as it is very easy to overcook and burn them.

Enjoy!
-Colleen

Some Assembly Required

I had planned to bring you an Irish-inspired St. Patrick’s Day meal from the family archives that goes back generations, but it turns out our family doesn’t have any Irish recipes that go back very far. And, my Shepherd's Pie is a work in progress. So, I am actually bringing you something entirely different- an appetizer recipe that goes back in our family archives… all of one week. My mom called me last week after she attended an Oscar’s party, raving about a delicious appetizer she had- Gorgonzola Stuffed Jalapeños Wrapped in Bacon. It’s a great appetizer to bring to a St. Paddy’s Day party this week- it’s not Irish by any means, but it is green!

When I got the recipe from my mom, I was at work and about to head into a meeting, so I scribbled down the ingredients and cooking time. It sounded simple enough with just a handful of ingredients. And, it really is such a simple recipe that I’m almost embarrassed to share it with you via this blog. But, I’d feel guilty if I didn’t- it’s so delicious and such a crowd pleaser, you really do need to add it to your appetizer repertoire. The spicy jalapeño is balanced by creamy, slightly bitter gorgonzola and the smoky, savory bacon is balanced by the sweet, chewy dates. It fulfills all of your taste buds' needs- a two-bite taste sensation. While I’m sure the original recipe had plenty of details, I didn’t have the original recipe. So you, lucky reader, have the advantage of my trial and error on this one. Read my notes before you get started to make sure your peppers come out perfect the first time.

1. Don’t confuse simple with fast and fool proof. These little guys are easy to make, but they take some assembling. Allow a fair amount of prep time (allow about 45 minutes to an hour from start to the time you pop them in the oven), and cook time (up to 40 minutes). And, you will benefit from some hints on the cooking process (keep reading).


2. Wear gloves. I never bother to wear gloves when working with peppers, figuring I can handle a few hot ones. But, it turns out I’ve never sliced, de-seeded, and manipulated 30 jalapeño halves before. My left hand was on FIRE for about 24 hours.


3. The organic bacon I usually buy is thick cut, and the bulky slices wouldn’t work well for this recipe. You need a thinly sliced bacon than can easily wrap around the jalapeños. I had to settle for antibiotic/hormone/nitrite free bacon.


4. Use a jelly roll or similar pan(s) that has an edge all the way around. You are cooking about a pound of bacon in the oven, which will render a considerable amount of fat. Check your jalapeños after about 20 minutes, and drain off as much pooled liquid as you can. (A turkey baster would work perfectly).


5. Line your pan with parchment paper so the bacon doesn’t stick. I also tried aluminum foil under one batch. It worked, but it seemed to speed up the cooking process a bit.


6. If you don't already have them, buy toothpicks
   

OK, here’s the recipe! All of the quantities are approximate, as everything depends on the sizes of your jalapeños and dates.

Gorgonzola Stuffed Jalapeños Wrapped in Bacon

• 15-18 medium sized jalapeños
• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temp
• 8 oz. gorgonzola cheese, chopped or crumbled
• 10-15 pit-free dates (make sure they are soft)
• 10-12 slices thin-cut bacon, each slice cut into equal thirds
• 30-36 toothpicks for securing
  

Stir together the cream cheese and gorgonzola. The mixture will have lumps of gorgonzola, but that's fine. Set aside to let it continue to soften while you prep the jalapeños.

Slice each jalapeños in half, trying to maintain a bit of stem on each half. Scoop out the seeds and ribs, and discard.

Dice the dates and stir them into the cheese mixture until well distributed.

Scoop the cheese and date mixture into each jalapeño half. Fill them just to their brims. You’ll be tempted to overfill them, but don’t. It will just bubble out and make a mess when you cook them.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. By the time you finish the next step it should be ready.

Take 1/3 slice of bacon and wrap it around the middle of each jalapeño half. Arrange it so the edges overlap a bit on one side. You may need to stretch some slices to make them fit around bigger jalapeños, or wrap it around the narrower end of the pepper. Use two toothpicks per pepper-half, securing both corners of bacon that you have overlapped. Force the toothpicks all the way through the other side of the pepper, so you have two parallel toothpicks inserted all the way through. Jalapeños are slippery, and bacon on jalapeños is twice as slippery Try not to stab yourself. But, don’t try to skip this step, either, or the bacon will just shrink away from the peppers when you cook them, and you’ll end up with stuffed peppers and a side of bacon chunks. Using just one toothpick didn’t really do the trick, either. Trust me on this one.

(If you have any extra filling and bacon, bacon wrapped dates are delicious, too. And if you have extra cheese mixture, stuff those dates! Just slice in half, scoop a dab of cheese in, close the date, wrap in 1/3 slice bacon, and secure with one toothpick).

Arrange wrapped peppers on your parchment lined pan, trying not to overcrowd. The peppers will take between 30 and 40 minutes. You want the bacon to be cooked, but not too crisp, and the cheese will have bubbled up a bit and gotten browned on most peppers. Let the peppers cool for a few minutes, then remove the toothpicks. (To help remove the toothpicks, I place each toothpick between the tines of a fork, letting the fork help protect the pepper as I pull it out).

Try not to eat them all before you bring them to a party!

-Heather

PS For you Portlanders, Farmer's Market on the PSU Park blocks starts this Saturday, March 20!! It looks like they have a new, less congested footprint.

Holiday Dessert, All Grown-Up

March is finally here, and you know what that means? St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner! I'm guessing that St. Paddy's Day is probably not a big holiday for most families, and while it wasn't a huge holiday at our house, certainly not like Christmas or Thanksgiving, it does hold a certain special place in my heart, being that my father's side of the family is Irish (well, Irish and Italian, actually). And while the Irish aren't exactly known for their gourmet menu items, they do know how to throw a good party and celebrate a holiday in style... I mean, this is the only holiday I can think of where you have an excuse to make and eat green food, naturally green or maybe not so much...think green eggs, green beer... I know, I know, kind of gross, but kind of fun too. Especially when you're a kid....

For my sister and I, St. Paddy's Day started out with the ritual of selecting just the right outfits to display our Irish green with pride. And not just because we didn't want to get pinched, but because, by golly, we really are Irish, and this was the one day we got to brag about it! And of course, it was always better to wear more than one shade of green if possible, just in case a quarrelsome classmate insisted that something you were wearing wasn't really green. (And in case you're wondering, green underwear does not count! Your green has to be clearly visible from the outside!) We each had a pair of green shamrock earrings as well, that my dad had gotten for us to wear especially for this holiday. When school got out, my mom would take us to the local McDonald's to get a Shamrock shake. Does anyone else remember these yummy, minty green milkshakes? Sometimes, I feel like I must have dreamed them up, since no one I have ever asked seems to know what I'm talking about. For dinner my mom would make something Irish-inspired, like the infamous corned beef and cabbage that everyone associates with this holiday, or maybe a lamb stew with Irish soda muffins (similar to the recipe that Heather put in a previous post), and then it would be time for dessert.... Leprechaun Pie.

I have no idea where my mom got this recipe, but it was most definitely a hit in our house...complete with whipped cream and marshmallows, creme de menthe, and a chocolate graham cracker crust, and of course a few drops of green food coloring. A minty, frozen, slice of deliciousness. And while I have fond memories of Leprechaun Pie, I thought it might be time for a green dessert that was a little more sophisticated to share for St. Paddy's Day. This is the perfect holiday for a recipe I recently discovered, Green Tea Cheesecake. And some of you will be happy to know that the cheesecake is made naturally green by the green tea powder, no artificial coloring needed! The original recipe came from Bon Appetit, but I have modified it to my liking. And it is very easy to make...

Green Tea Cheesecake

• 1 generous cup ground shortbread cookies (about 6 oz.)
• 1-2 T melted butter
• 2 8-oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature (don't use light or whipped products)
• 1/2 cup packed fromage blanc*
• 3/4 cup plus 2 T baker's sugar (finely ground sugar used in baking)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp Japanese green tea powder**

Sour Cream topping:

• 1 1/2 cup sour cream (don't use light or nonfat)
• 1/2 cup baker's sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
  

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grind cookies in food processor until you have medium sized crumbs. Add in the melted butter just until crumbs start to come together - you may not need all 2 tablespoons of the butter. Then dump crumb mixture into an 8 inch springform pan and press firmly onto the bottom (not sides) of the pan. You then need to wrap the outside of the pan with 3 layers of foil to prevent leakage during baking.

2. Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese, fromage blanc, and sugar (3/4 cup plus 2 T) in large bowl until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating until well incorporated after each addition. Beat in green tea powder until smooth. Pour batter over prepared crust.

3. Place cake in roasting pan or other deep, large pan. You will need to add enough hot water to the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Place roasting pan with cake in the oven. Bake until set, but center moves very slightly when gently shaken, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.

4. Make sour cream topping by blending the sour cream, sugar ( 1/2 cup) and vanilla until smooth. Once cake is finished baking remove from oven and turn oven up to 400 degrees. Pour sour cream topping onto the cake and smooth with spatula. Put back in the oven for 5 minutes. (You do not need to use the roasting pan at this point. You can place the cake directly on an oven rack. Also, you do not need to remove the foil. You can remove this after the cake is completely done.) The cake will look the same, but the sour cream topping will be set.

5. Cool the cake on a rack for at least one hour at room temperature. Refrigerate the cake uncovered overnight before serving. Do not remove the outer ring of the springform until the next day, when the cake is completely set. You may want to run a thin knife around the inside ring of the pan before removing.

* Fromage blanc can be found in most specialty food stores, such as New Seasons, Zupans, or Whole Foods. Some regular grocery stores might have it as well, though I couldn't find it in Safeway.
** Green tea powder can be found at Uwajimaya or other Asian markets. You might also find it at some specialty food stores. If you are having trouble locating some, an alternative is to take some green tea bags, remove the green tea and then crush it up finely with a mortar and pestle. The downside to this (from experience) is that the cheesecake looks a little like it has a a certain illegal substance in it. Also, the cake does not taste as "green tea-y", and has only a hint of the green tea flavor and color. Though it might not look quite as pretty, it still tastes pretty fantastic.

This cake tastes excellent on its own. However, some people like sauces with their cheesecakes... In the picture, I show the cake served with a raspberry sauce that tastes delicious with it, and adds some beautiful color as well. I find that the easiest way to make the raspberry sauce is to take a 10 oz bag of frozen raspberries and place in a saucepan over medium heat. Add approximately 4 T sugar, and a dash of lemon juice. Heat the raspberries and mash them up as much as possible, for approximately 10 minutes or so. Then press them through a strainer so that you have the sauce without all of the seeds. My mother makes this same sauce by simply processing the raspberries in a food processor and then pressing the berries through a strainer. She adds the sugar to the sauce at the end (you will not need as much sugar with this method). I find that with this method, it is more difficult to press the berries through the strainer. Something about heating them up first makes the pressing easier. But either method is fine. And both taste terrific (and can be used to top lots of different desserts!)

I hope you all have a great St. Patrick's Day holiday. Luck o' the Irish to ya!

- Colleen

Tuna and I Make Amends

I've had a love-hate relationship with tuna. As a kid, I loved tuna - pure, unadulterated tuna. I remember being in a restaurant with my family on a road trip. I was probably 6 or 7, and looking at my options on the children's menu. Among the bland, kid-friendly options, I saw a tuna sandwich. But, I knew it would be tainted with dreaded mayonnaise. So, when the waitress came, I ordered "a tuna sandwich, without the mayo and bread, please". Now, I should point out that I was a very shy child, and to this day, am considered the "strong, silent type" by some of my more boisterous friends. So, the fact that I ordered for myself, and made a special request, no less, was kind of a big deal. I'm sure my sister appreciated the fact that she didn't have to order for me. But, the waitress didn't have these details about my personality. If she did, she probably wouldn't have looked at me like I was a weird kid, and said, "So, hon, what you're askin' for is just a can of tuna?" She took one look at my now bright red face, and then turned to my mom for confirmation. I got my small bowl of flaky tuna, and enjoyed every bite as the heat in my flaming red cheeks subsided. And yes, I made my sister order my next meal for me.

Somewhere along the way, I began to hate tuna. The smell and the taste both fell somewhere between very fishy and very metallic. I could barely stand to be in the same room as a can of opened tuna. And don't get me started on the mushy and unappetizing texture. There seems to have been a gradual and steady decline of the quality of tuna in my lifetime. Sure, we are all concerned about the rising mercury levels, and the serious problem of overfishing in certain areas of the world. There are plenty of morally sound reasons for avoiding tuna. Who needs the guilt? But, no one talks about the aesthetic problems. Tuna is no longer a thing of simple beauty. Most commercially available tuna looks, smells, and (though I can't necessarily attest to this one), probably tastes like cat food.

I had pretty much given up on tuna when I ran across a woman selling cans of tuna at the Saturday Market in the quaint seaside town of Astoria, OR. Her husband runs a local fishing vessel, the F/V Sonja. They have a small, family run business packing and selling their tuna, which, by the way, has been tested and found to have low levels of mercury. I had to give tuna another chance. Guess what? It is the BEST TUNA I HAVE EVER HAD! It is firm, and meaty, and flaky, and it tastes like the sea, not like a fishy metal can. It is, as the British would say, gorgeous. I raved about it to family and friends when I got back into town with my treasured cans of tuna. I've since ordered a case. If you live in the Pacific Northwest area, you should give it a try. It's not cheap, but it is well worth the price for such high quality tuna. Need more convincing? You are supporting a local business with good fishing practices, buying a product that doesn't have to be shipped 2,000 miles before reaching your doorstep, and due to the low mercury levels, you can enjoy it more often without feeling guilty. If you still aren't convinced, invite yourself over to my house on Tuna Casserole night, and you might change your mind.

This recipe for Tuna Casserole was originally published in Bon Appetit. It's a bit more work than the usual version made with canned cream of mushroom, but you can taste the difference. I've modified the recipe to my liking, with the addition of cheese and peas. I also use a lot of pepper.

Tuna Casserole

• 9 T butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 cups whole milk (no low fat or non-fat)
• 1 cup sliced, stemmed fresh shitake mushrooms (opt)
• 1 cup sliced, trimmed button mushrooms (up to 2 cups if not using shitake mushrooms)
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 T chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 tsp dried
• 1 T chopped fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup grated gouda or smoked gouda, (or white cheddar cheese, or whatever favorite cheese you have on hand)
• 8 oz egg noodles
• 2 7-oz cans tuna, packed in water, and drained well
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 cups fresh white breadcrumbs (I usually make small bread crumbs in my food processor. The ones pictured were an experiment with large crumbs. I prefer the smaller size).

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 in glass or ceramic dish. Cook noodles, drain and rinse in cold water. Drain well, and set aside.


2. Melt 4 T butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Stir over medium heat until sauce thickens a little, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
   
3. Melt 1 T butter in medium skillet over med-high heat. Add mushrooms, green onions and celery. Saute until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in rosemary and thyme. Add thawed peas. Stir mushroom mixture into milk sauce. Add grated cheeses to sauce and stir until well combined.
   
4. Return noodles to pot they were cooked in. Add tuna, breaking into flakes, and toss to distribute. Add cheese mixture and stir to evenly coat noodle mixture. Season with salt and (lots of!) pepper. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish.


5. Melt remaining 4 T butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and stir continuously while browning, approximately 10 minutes. Sprinkle over casserole.
   
6. Bake casserole for about 30 minutes, until bubbly around the edges and nicely browned on top. Let sit for about 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

If you are like me, you might have a hard time resisting seconds, and thirds, of this comforting meal. I think next time I'm going to divide and cook the casserole in individual serving sized dishes.

Enjoy!
Heather

The Making of a Baker

Some of you already know this, but once upon a time, I was married. As far as marriages go, this one was pretty short indeed. Okay, not as short as the marriages of Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez...but not that long either. I think they're what people are now referring to as "starter" marriages, which seems like a strange term to me. What does this mean exactly? I'm thinking that in food terms, it would be like I made an unlucky selection from the appetizer menu, got food poisoning and never made it to the entree course... Hmm... that does sound about right... Anyway, this man that I married had actually gone to culinary school and worked as a chef. When I met him, he had worked in some really nice restaurants in Seattle, where we were both living at the time. Yes, I know what some of you are thinking... this sounds like a match made in heaven! How perfect that a person who loves food as much as I do, would find and marry someone who had a culinary background. And on the surface, you'd be right. We were a pretty good match in some respects. He loved to cook and I loved to eat. He was one of those people who could whip up a fabulous gourmet meal with only those ingredients that are left behind in your cupboard. Those ingredients that never seem to go together and that you can never figure out what to do with. Dinners like salmon with a coconut milk sauce, or chicken over a mushroom risotto... But alas, our love of food did not a good marriage make.

The man I am with now...my sweetheart, my love... is not a food lover. In fact, he will proudly tell you that if it were possible to get his nutritional quota from a daily pill, he would take it, and dispense with meals altogether. Every meal we have ever eaten out, comes with specific instructions to the waiter about what to add, or more likely remove, from his carefully selected menu choice. His idea of a gourmet meal is a burger with a fried egg on top. Our first date was at Red Robin... I think you get the idea. But I do have to give him a little credit... he can make some killer barbeque chicken! So, some of you may be thinking that I went from one extreme to the other. Where's the happy medium here, between the guy who loves food and the guy who eats only to survive?

I'll tell you what... It's me. I'm the happy medium... because now I get to be the star of my own kitchen. My ex-husband had a rather large ego when it came to cooking, and the result of this was that there was no room for me in the kitchen, literally and figuratively. I know that if we had stayed together, my culinary skills and dreams would have gone untapped. With him around, there was only room for one chef in the house, and unfortunately, it wasn't me. But now... I can putter around my kitchen, experimenting and creating to my heart's content! And my sweetheart, my AJ, is my number one supporter. Though he is most certainly not a foodie, he does love a good dessert every now and then, and willingly tastes all of my creations.

When I bring desserts in to work to test out on my co-workers, he brags about my dishes as if he were my paid marketing director... which I'm guessing is how I got "volunteered" to bring dessert to a party this past Saturday night. He is currently in school working on a Masters degree, and he and his program cohort were celebrating their last day of classes on Saturday. When AJ first mentioned the party to me, he sheepishly said that he hoped it was okay, but that he had volunteered me to make the dessert for the party... thought it was a good venue to test out some of my recipes. And of course, he was right. Part of me wanted to jump for joy that he thought I was up to the challenge, and part of me wanted to run and hide and tell him that I wasn't ready yet. So after some last minute panic and second thoughts, I did it. And it was a success! I got wonderful compliments from the guests and I left there on Cloud Nine. Oh yeah, and did I mention that the husband of the woman hosting the party is a trained chef? And not just any old chef, but a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, the most prestigious culinary school in the U.S....ummm... AJ forgot to mention those details when he signed me up for this gig... But Chef John was a great guy, totally supportive of my culinary attempts, and I thoroughly enjoyed talking with him and perusing his extensive culinary book collection... all in all, a magical evening.

One of the desserts I brought on Saturday was a new one for me. While it's not usually a good idea to bring a "never-been-tried" recipe to a party, this one turned out to be a hit. It is a Pumpkin Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting. The recipe was one I found in the "Art and Soul of Baking" book by Cindy Mushet. This first time I made it, I followed the recipe exactly, though when I make it again, I will most likely tweak the frosting a bit. It came out too runny and kept wanting to slide off the cake (it didn't help that I ran out of time and didn't actually level the cake!). The recipe calls for using maple syrup, which has a nice flavor, but I plan to cut back on the amount used. I would start out with half the amount, so a quarter cup, and then add more if needed. The other thing I might try is a little bit of maple extract to bring out a stronger maple flavor. I will list the recipe as it is originally written, and you can modify it as I've suggested or not. Without further ado, here it is...

Pumpkin Spice Cake
with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Cake:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temp.
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 2 cups sifted cake flour*
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temp.

Frosting:

• 12 oz cream cheese, room temp.
• 3/4 stick unsalted butter, room temp.
• 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup, preferably grade C
• 1 3/4 cups sifted confectioners sugar
• 1 cup pecan pieces, toasted and finely chopped**

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and position rack in center of oven. Butter 9 inch round cake pan, and fit with a round of parchment paper. (Note: If you are using a dark or non-stick coated pan, you will need to turn the heat down by 25 degrees, otherwise your cake will cook too quickly on the outer edges but will not get done in the middle.)

2. Beat the butter and brown sugar with mixer on med-high until very light in color, 4 to 5 minutes. Scrape down bowl with spatula.

3. Beat the eggs and vanilla in a small bowl to blend. With the mixer on medium, add the eggs to the butter mixture about 1 Tbsp at a time, allowing each addition to blend before adding the next. Halfway through, scrape down the bowl, then continue adding eggs as before. Add the pumpkin and blend well.

4. With a fine-mesh strainer, sift the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cloves into the bowl and whisk to blend. With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the flour mixture and the buttermilk alternately. Begin with 1/3 of the flour mixture, then half the buttermilk, then another 1/3 of flour, then the rest of the buttermilk, then the final amount of flour. Scrape the bowl and finish blending by hand.

5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the top is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to rack to cool completely.

6. Make the frosting: Place the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl and blend with a mixer until smooth. Add the maple syrup and confectioner's sugar and mix thoroughly. Scrape bowl down and blend again briefly.

7. Once cake has cooled, run a thin flexible knife or spatula around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Place a cake cardboard or large plate on top of pan and flip over so that the cake is on the plate. Lift the cake pan off, leaving the parchment paper on the cake. Flip again so the cake is right side up. Level the cake if necessary. Using a serrated knife slice the cake horizontally into two layers. (Note: Or you can do what I did, and make two batches of the cake recipe so that you have two 9" layers, for a larger, taller cake.)

8. Place the top half of the cut cake on a serving plate, with the cut side up. With an icing spatula or thin flexible knife, spread a generous 1/2 cup of frosting evenly over the surface. Flip over the bottom half of the cake on top of the frosting with the parchment side up. Remove the parchment and use the remainder of the frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake. Press the toasted pecan pieces into the sides of the cake. Serve immediately or refrigerate until needed.

Storing: The cake will keep refrigerated for 3 days. It is best served at cool room temp. and should be taken out of the fridge 30 to 45 minutes before serving.

* The cake flour should be sifted first, then measured. An easier way to do this is to use a small kitchen scale if you have one, and sift out 7 ounces of flour (which equals 2 cups of sifted flour). You could also sift the flour directly over a large glass measuring cup until you get to the 2 cup line.

** The pecans should be toasted first before chopping them into small pieces. You can toast the pecans on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 7 to 9 minutes.


I hope you enjoy this recipe. And as always, let me know what you think!

- Colleen

Maggie's Buns

My sister and I have had entrepreneurial aspirations for as long as I can remember. As children, much of our playtime centered around creating a "business" and then acting it out. Sort of like dress-up, but with a business plot line. One of our first creations was a circus, but without the animals, so really more like a fair. We "employed" the two younger kids who lived next door to us. (They served a dual purpose, in that they were our customers and our free child labor!) We spent most of our time creating carnival games, like a ring toss, a spin-the-wheel game, and a bean bag toss. As I remember it, many of our mother's cooking beans went to making homemade bean bags, and a good number of those beans ended up all over the backyard, when we didn't quite sew those little bags closed all the way. As you've probably noted, this early business dream does not translate well to an actual paying occupation. I'm guessing my parents are relieved that we didn't grow up to be carnies...

We also had a real estate firm, where we spent most of our time sitting at desks talking on old rotary dial phones, and setting up appointments to show people houses for sale. Oh, and most importantly, planning our dates for when we got off work! Then I went through a Nancy Drew phase, and we posted signs hiring ourselves out as detectives to anyone in the neighborhood who might need our services. Surprisingly, no one ever took us up on this! I can't begin to imagine why... I mean when you've read every Nancy Drew book ever written, you're bound to have better than average detective skills, right?

The business I remember being most "successful" was the C&H Diner. Heather and I would make our parents sit at the dining room table, while we whipped out our tablets and scribbled down their orders. We then spent an enormous amount of time in the kitchen totaling up how much this wonderful meal would cost before presenting them with the bill. We were some pretty tough waitresses and our customers weren't allowed to leave the dining room until they had paid up! Luckily for them, my sister and I had no concept of the cost of food, so they usually escaped having lost only the change in their pockets. I'm thinking this little diner game had more to do with making some quick cash for some toy we wanted to buy, and less to do with starting our own food-related business. But I'm pretty sure I saw an Oprah show once where she asked her guests what they remember enjoying most as a child and encouraging these people to turn this childhood passion into a dream. I'm on it, Oprah!

So then, it appears that we were always destined to work in the food business. Thank goodness, we have finally grasped the concept that to be successful in the food business, you actually have to serve some food! Which is exactly what the mother daughter team do at Maggie's Buns, a bakery and cafe, in Forest Grove, OR. A real-life, grown-up version of the "diner", where not only do they take your order and give you a bill, they actually feed you too. My friend Amanda introduced my sister and I to this lovely little spot this past week for lunch, and I'm so glad that she did. The place is very bright and cozy, and is decorated in a Bohemian, eclectic style, with multicolored chandeliers, mismatched tables and chairs, and a plastic set of Maggie's "buns" right at the front counter. Oh, and did I mention the fake deer head wearing a hat on a side wall? I think you get the idea....

But what this cafe lacks in polish, they more than make up for in friendliness and charm. And though the decorations might be a little "out there", the food is not. Think homey, comfort food, just like mom or grandma would make. (Well, if they were good home cooks, that is.) They have a whole display case of wonderful things to choose from, such as buttermilk baked chicken, turkey bacon wraps, Greek gyros, pasta dishes, and at least 6 different salads. And the prices won't break the bank. I chose the Sante Fe Quiche...



Heather got the Portabella Feta Crepes...



And Amanda got the Homemade Macaroni and Cheese...



And don't even get me started on the pastry display case... There was so much to choose from... cookies, muffin tops (exactly what the name says!), several different kinds of brownies, lemon bars, and fruit cobblers. I got a rasberry shortbread bar for the road. Mmmm.... a little piece of summer in the middle of winter... delightful!

If you're ever in the area, you should definitely give this place a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed...

- Colleen

Cloudy with a Chance of Sun Breaks

This is Heather, the savory half of the dynamic sister duo! Don't get me wrong, I love to bake and will choose to eat chocolate over most things any day of the week. But, when it comes to experimenting in the kitchen, I tend to play around with savory foods. I can spend hours perusing cookbooks and food magazines, collecting recipe ideas and savoring the glossy photos of artfully prepared foods. And I like to try small twists on recipes that I already love, just to see if I can improve them or make them a little more memorable.

Today was a typical cloudy January day in the Northwest, but on a hike this morning, my boyfriend and I spotted some sun breaks. What's a sun break, you say? Well, those who live in the Pacific Northwest know the term well. For the rest of you, that's what we call a hole in the never ending cloud layer that might, just might, let a ray of sunshine through. It sounds better than "mostly cloudy", doesn't it? The weather man thinks so, too, and is always thrilled to inform us when we might get even a spot of sun. So, today we cherished a few sun breaks amidst an otherwise gray day. It was the perfect day for one of my favorite winter recipes- Citrus-Scented Lamb Stew. It's not a heavy, stick-to-your-ribs kind of stew. It has body to it, for sure, but is also has a lightness from the citrus, and a comforting warmth from the mixture of spices. It's just like a cloudy day with a spot of sunshine.

I've slightly modified the original recipe from Food & Wine- adding a few more spices and making the stew a bit "soupier", because I love a good broth. Feel free to adjust any of the spices or herbs to your liking- that's what I did.

Citrus-Scented Lamb Stew

• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 1/4 pounds lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 1 med. onion, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, sliced
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme (or 1/2 tsp fresh)
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and lightly smashed with the side of a knife
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 3" strip lemon zest (I prefer Meyer lemons), plus 1 Tbsp juice
• 3" strip orange zest, plus 2 Tbsp juice
• One 28-oz can dices tomatoes, drained (If Italian seasoned, you can modify above herbs)
• 3+ cups low sodium beef or chicken broth, plus more as needed during cooking (If your stock is strong, consider cutting it 50/50 with water)
• 1 10-oz. pkg frozen sweet peas (about 2 cups)

Melt the butter in a large pot- I prefer my enameled cast iron pot. Dry the lamb pieces, season liberally with salt and pepper, and add to the pot with melted butter. Try to get a good sear on all sides of the meat, which will take about 10 minutes. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon, leaving juices in the pot.

Add the onions, carrots, and thyme through bay leaf to the juices in the pot. Saute over medium heat until onions are translucent and carrots are just starting to become tender, about 10 minutes. Add meat back to the pot, and add the cinnamon, allspice, citrus zests and juice, plus additional pinch pepper. Stir the mixture until the spices are well distributed and you can smell the spices- about 3 minutes.

Add the drained tomatoes and stock. If you like a heartier, less brothy stew, start with just two cups of stock. If you like it soupier, start with three cups. Bring the stew to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, for at least 45 minutes. If your lamb meat is on the tough side, feel free to simmer longer, until the lamb becomes tender. (After bringing your stew to a boil, you can also put your pot, covered, in a 300 degree oven for 60 minutes or more. This can help particularly tough meat get very tender). Check your liquid levels periodically and add stock as necessary to keep meat covered. Once the meat is tender, you can remove the lid and simmer the stew to desired thickness or brothy-ness. About 10 minutes prior to serving, add frozen peas and simmer to heat through. Also, remove zest, garlic clove, cloves (if you can find them, otherwise, keep an eye out for them while you eat), and bay leaf.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!




This stew will keep well in the refrigerator for 4 days.

Also in the photo is my favorite compliment to this stew- Crusty Irish Soda Muffins. I used to make these when I was a kid, and I still love them to sop up the final juices of a tasty stew. As the name implies, they are a crumbly, not overly-moist, muffin. They are meant to be sliced in half and bathed in a pat of butter! (The recipe makes about 18 muffins. I usually halve the recipe).

Crusty Irish Soda Muffins

• 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup sugar, to taste*
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon or 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 4 Tbsp butter, cold
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cup buttermilk**
  

*sugar is optional- I like to add about 1/8 cup for a whole recipe. The sweetness is a nice counterbalance to the salty, soda flavor. If I'm making these muffins for breakfast, I may add up to 1/4 cup sugar for the whole recipe, and add about 1 cup of raisins. Some people prefer this sweeter muffin.

** I never have buttermilk on hand, and don't like to buy it for one recipe. You can make your own "buttermilk" or sour milk, using about 1 Tbsp of mild vinegar (cider vinegar or rice vinegar) per 1 cup of milk.

In a large bowl, combine flour through spice. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture forms even crumbs. (If making a sweet version of this muffin with the raisins, as mention above, add the raisins after the butter, being sure to coat well with the flour mixture).

Beat egg lightly and add to buttermilk. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir until well blended. Batter will be very thick and lumpy.

Spoon into 18 well-greased 2" muffin cups. Each cup will be pretty full. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden. An inserted toothpick should come out clean.

Serve hot from the oven, and don't forget to serve with butter... Yum!

-H