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