2014 - a year in review.

It seems when something monumental happens (i.e. saying I do), you suddenly forget everything else that happened in the span of 365 days.   It's not to say the whole year is a blank, but the year condenses into this one event and the things that would normally stand out are suddenly just a blip on the radar.   This year, it feels exceptionally important to put together this re-cap.  As life-altering as getting married was, it wasn't the only thing (thought it was THE thing) - so here we go.  Consuming one too many homemade Oreos from Flour Bakery in Boston (and several of the their chicken, brie, roasted red pepper and caramelized onion sandwiches which will continue to reign sandwich champion in my mind).  Finally watching The Wire (RIP Omar)! An epic trip to Mexico (where I got an epic bout of food poisoning) that was spent climbing ancient Mayan ruins and watching one of my best get married.  Tackling homemade bagels and tortellini and finishing (just barely) a juice cleanse. A summer trip to Brimfield with the boy for antiques (and plans to make this a yearly trip). Consuming massive amounts of rhubarb (jam, pie, crumb bars) and reading the Third Plate by Dan Barber which forced me to re-think everything I thought I knew about food. Eating half a dozen potato doughnuts from the Holy Donut in Portland, Maine and a banana chocolate almond croissant from B. Patisserie in San Francisco. Spray painting just about everything I can get my hands on gold and devouring cherry brown butter bars which are the definition of life-changing.  The fried chicken sandwich from Palace Diner which I still dream about and meeting the world's most adorable puppy. A bridal shower complete with dinosaur pinatas and my best friends. Beyonce XO (which I will never be able to listen to again without thinking of my beautiful bridesmaids as they walked down the aisle) and Cat Power Sea of Love on repeat.  A Brooklyn day trip that involved the best burger and the search for the perfect wedding cake. A Memorial Day Weekend trip to Pok Pok with the only other couple as food obsessed as me. Perfecting the flour tortilla and learning the importance of fake lashes.  2 trips (!) to the apple orchard and finally making apple pie bars. A return trip to Tartine and basically consuming 2 loaves of their addicting bread.  Hiking Big Sur. Spending the hours before the wedding with the people who know me better than I know myself and reading  out loud the vows I spent 8 months writing Tyler.  Marrying him was the best thing I've ever done and 2014 will go down as one of the best years because of it.  

2015  - I hope you bring me the opportunity to travel more (Austin, New Orleans, Nashville are high on the list oh and ITALY).  To eat scrambled eggs at least once a week. To FINALLY make a homemade croissant.  To read more. To wear more color (or maybe just white/cream with out getting it dirty).  To learn to rely less on material things and more on experiences.  To be able to do 20 pushups (and maybe get a flatt-er stomach though my love of cookies may prevent this).  To fall in love all over again.  To fully embrace the last few months of my twenties and the first of my thirties.  

Let's do this thing.  

(I realize I've shown this picture before but I love it to much to not have it be the photo that represents our year in review.  We looked pretty super on our wedding day but this picture represents how we look those other 364 days.)

caramelized onion dip with feta, spinach, and walnuts.

New Year's eve can be oysters and champagne but if we are being honest (and I hope we can be honest) I'm pretty happy with pigs-in-a-blanket and a couple of beers. (Sometimes low-brow is best.)  

And dip!  Or at least this dip which I am so obsessed with that I may have gone to the farmer's market again today to purchase the ingredients so I can make it for a second time. (Ain't no shame in being a repeat offender.)  

I have a kind of love hate relationship with dips because most are composed of canned/jarred/bottled ingredients and while those dips can taste great they don't really involve much cooking and they aren't really special.   

But this dip is so life-changingly good that I may never need another dip recipe again.   I realize it may not be low-brow but it is a riff on onion dip which some may consider a less then classy dip.  Onion dip is traditionally composed of sour cream and mayo and pretty much everything that is bad for you but tastes good.  This version is greek yogurt and feta and all things I love which ensures you produce a dip nearly impossible to resist.  The addition of spinach and toasted walnuts is practically genius and it provides the perfect textural contrast to an otherwise smooth dip.  I'm not suggesting you have to serve this at your New Year's Eve celebration but it would be wise if you did (and this holds true even if your New Year's celebration is just you and your significant other.)  

Caramelized Onion Dip with Feta, Spinach and Walnuts

Recipe adapted from Tasting Table

Yield: About 2 ½ cups

¼ cup canola oil

1½ cups finely diced onions

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups packed baby or regular spinach

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 ½  cups whole-fat Greek yogurt

1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano, divided (or 1 ½ teaspoon dried)

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

⅓ cup walnuts, toasted and crushed

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Crackers, for serving

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm ¼ cup of the canola oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season them with salt and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until the onions are light golden brown and very soft, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the garlic and spinach and cook until the spinach has wilted and all of the liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes.

In a food processor, combine the yogurt and feta and pulse until a little chunky.   Add spinach and onions to the food processor and pulse a few more times.  Transfer to a medium bowl.   Add 2 tablespoons of the oregano  or 1 teaspoon of the dried oregano) and the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. If the dip looks too thick, stir in a tablespoon of water (as needed).

To serve, put the dip in a bowl and top it with the remaining oregano and walnuts. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with crackers.

chocolate fudge with bourbon sugar.

By this point in December I am usually on a cookie baking binger.  I will have gone through 4 pounds of sugar, 3 dozen eggs, and a bottle of vanilla extract but this year has been different.  I think I tuckered myself out after baking 100 chocolate chip cookies, a batch of World Peace Cookies, some Austrian Shortbread, and almond cookies for the wedding.  My Cusinart and I still need a little break from each other.  

When I stumbled across this fudge recipe in the latest issue of Bon Appetit and realized it incorporated both chocolate and bourbon (!!!) and it was a recipe from one of the best pastry chefs (William Werner of Craftsman and Wolves out in San Francisco) I felt as if it was time to get back to baking (or in this case candy-making).  

This fudge is about as fudgy as fudge can get.  It is rich.  It is chocolaty.  It is the kind of treat that is decadent and completely appropriate from December through February.  It's all around delicious but it's the sprinkle of bourbon sugar and sea salt on the top that really makes me swoon hard for it.   

Chocolate Fudge With Bourbon Sugar

Recipe from Bon Appetit

I don't typically love the texture of fudge, I find it to be grainy but this stuff is a whole other beast.  I don't know if fudge purists would call if fudge but I call it delicious and isn't that all that matters?  I will say that this is rich (and this is coming from a chocoholic).  The original recipe called cutting this it into 32 pieces and I think at that size it would be too much 48 pieces is much better.  

The bourbon isn't as strong as I imagined it to be.  You do get a faint hint of it but it's not overpowering in the slightest (you can easily feed this to kids).  I will admit that my favorite part of this recipe is the bourbon sugar which I have plans for sprinkling on grapefruit cookies to make a cookie version of my favorite cocktail The Brown Derby - mind blown!  I only made half the amount of brown sugar and I regret that decision now.  Learn from my mistakes.   

Makes 48 Pieces

Bourbon Sugar

1cup demerara sugar

2 tablespoons bourbon

Fudge

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 72%), coarsely chopped

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)

To Make The Bourbon Sugar: Preheat oven to 150° or as low as yours will go. Scrape vanilla seeds into a small bowl; stir in demerara sugar and bourbon. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let dry out in oven overnight, leaving door slightly ajar. Mixture should feel like demerara sugar again in the morning.

Do Ahead: Store bourbon sugar airtight at room temperature up to 2 months.

To Make The Fudge: Line an 8x8” baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a generous overhang on 2 sides; lightly coat with nonstick spray. Heat chocolates in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let bowl touch water), stirring occasionally, until almost completely melted. Set aside.

Combine condensed milk, butter, bourbon, corn syrup, and kosher salt in a small saucepan; scrape in vanilla seeds and add pod. Heat over medium until barely hot (same as the chocolate).

Gently stir one quarter of milk mixture into chocolate with a rubber spatula. Add another quarter of milk mixture, stirring to incorporate (it might look broken and greasy; don’t worry, it will come back together). Continue with remaining milk mixture in 2 additions, stirring vigorously until fudge is very shiny and almost elastic, about 5 minutes. Scrape into prepared pan and smooth top. Sprinkle with bourbon sugar and sea salt. Let cool, then cover and chill at least 4 hours.

Turn out fudge onto a cutting board and slice into 48 pieces.  

Do Ahead: Fudge can be made 1 week ahead. Wrap tightly and chill.

thoughts on seating.

I'm making it one of my goals to bring back the dinner party.  Now that we are in possession of more alcohol then we would ever purchase for college parties (and we aren't throwing any college parties) we need to have people over to drink it.  I have visions in my head of a cocktails and cheese party but I am also thinking about hosting smaller more intimate dinner parties where I get to cook whole fishes, pork shoulder, and fresh pasta for another couple (or 2).  I realize that in order to do this we may need a couple more chairs and for that reason I've started exploring ottomans and poufs.  Below are a few that I have my eye on...

1 - Blake Ottoman  (Green)
2 - Morrocan Pouf (White)
3 - Peter Bench (Grey and Gold)

4 - Tufted Bench (Grey and Gold)

upside-down cranberry-caramel cake.

After a hiatus from the kitchen that lasted far longer then I ever thought possible, I have finally returned to the routines of my former life.  And what a return it has been - epic lasagna, pumpkin bread, slow-cooked chickpeas, and now this cake which may be the best thing I've eaten (out of my own kitchen) in a long time.

I realize cranberries are usually consumed in the dried form and while there is nothing wrong with that (tossed in kale salads with sliced almonds and creamy blue cheese they are excellent), I've begun to think it's time we show fresh cranberries a little respect.  I find that in the depths of winter their bright tart flavor is a welcome change of pace form the massive amounts of chocolate desserts people seem to favor.  (Not that there is anything wrong with massive amounts of chocolate but a little variety never hurt anyone right?)

Tart cranberries are nestled in pockets of caramel and layered over a dense and buttery cake that is so obscenely perfect that I have begun to wonder why all cakes can't be this good.  It's rich (even with the addition of cranberries, no one can call this health food), but it doesn't feel heavy.  It's festive and just right for this time of year.  I am not suggesting you eliminate your holiday cookie plate but I will say that no one would be disappointed if you brought this to your next party.

Upside-Down Cranberry-Caramel Cake

Recipe tweaked slightly from Smitten Kitchen

Unsalted butter or cooking spray for the baking pan
2/3 cup (5 ounces or 142 grams) packed light brown sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks, 6 ounces or 171 grams) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses or maple syrup
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces or 242 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces or 198 grams) sugar
2 teaspoons (9 grams) baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (8 1/2 ounces or 242 grams) sour cream
2 ½ cups (10 ounces or 288 grams) fresh or frozen cranberries

Zest of 1 orange

¼ - ½ teaspoon ground ginger (I love ginger with oranges and cranberries so I happily added a generous amount.  Dial it back if you don’t love ginger quite as much)

Few gratings of fresh nutmeg (optional) 

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of the melted butter, molasses and 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Stir well and pour into prepared cake pan. Set pan aside.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together into a bowl or onto a sheet of waxed paper and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the whisk attachment (eh, I just used a handmixer with standard beaters) beat the eggs and sour cream together at medium speed until well blended. Add orange zest, ground ginger, and nutmeg (if using). Scrape down the bowl and add remaining melted butter (1/2 cup) and beat until combined. Add flour mixture and beat until smooth.

Add the cranberries to the prepared baking pan and gently press the fruit into an even layer. Dollop the batter on top and use an offset spatula to gently nudge it into place without disturbing the cranberries underneath. Bake on the center rack until golden and a tester inserted into just the cake comes out clean, which took 30 to 35 minutes. Please,please check yours on the early side. Remove from the oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the inside of the pan then insert over a flat platter that is larger than your cake pan, to catch any puddling or jumping cranberries.

This cake keeps well for 3 days at room temperature.  

dear santa..

All I want for Christmas is an actual table to eat at (with mis-matched chairs) and a light filled kitchen.   (So really what I am asking for is to win the lottery.)  Love, Me.  




Image from here.