Thanksgiving 09 - 2nd annual Farm style

well, we are officially in post thanksgiving mode - also known as "the holidays". starting with the christmas party josh and i met at to last years thanksgiving day that we got engaged, i suppose that this season is officially my favorite (don't worry easter i still adore you more than any other).

this year consisted of a close group of friends, an amazing location and tons of delish foodstuff - and even an adorable baby! surprisingly i pulled off a dinner for 6 without an major disasters or breaking a sweat. the baby enjoyed a champagne cork (don't act you haven't done the same after a little too much "holiday cheer"). Seemed everyone's favorite was a tie between the rosemary lemon bread w/ honey butter and the pumpkin pie w/ homemade whipped cream. my favorite (which i freakishly tried to push on everyone) was the guinness molasses ginger bundt cake. OMG! i am officially obsessed with that cake!

below is a menu from the dinner - if you are interested in a recipe of any of these, just put through a request and i'll hook you up.

Thyme Roasted Chicken

Gravy

Mashed Potatoes

Caramelized Onion Cornbread dressing

Sweet Potato Casserole

Cranberry Orange Sauce

Honey Glazed Carrots

Sautéed Green Beans

Rosemary Lemon Bread (w/ Honey butter)

Walnut Bread (w/ Maple butter)

Cranberry Orange Loaf

Pumpkin Pie (w/ Fresh Whipped Cream)

Apple Pie

Guinness Molasses Ginger Cake

Banana Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Frosting

once again we failed to finish off the bunch of 7 weekly bananas received in our standard grocery load. why is this so difficult? i'm not sure if josh isn't secretly abandoning the last 2-3 bananas on purpose as part of a cruel plan to see what baked goods i will transform the sweet mush into. well, if this is so i keep falling for it. i have a serious problem about throwing any kind of food item away. i will eat anything before tossing it in the trash, which now that i think of it - is not such a reasonable philosophy. usually if something is calling to be thrown in a trash can, you should not be consuming it. hm, ok well with that said...

the cupcakes are pretty close to perfect! the bananas give the added flavor, moisture and sweetness which means less fat and sugar. the addition of the warm spices make this a great fall-into-winter treat. i mean how many versions of pumpkin bread and chocolate mint can one person take during the holidays? give me some fruit please! we ate three of these cupcakes yesterday - yeah they are just that good. if you want you can double this recipe to get a full 12 (this makes 6)

BANANA CUPCAKES w/ HONEY CINNAMON FROSTING

3/4c AP flour

1/4c + 2tbs sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

2oz butter, melted

3/4c mashed bananas (2 very ripe)

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

*preheat oven to 350F, line muffin pan

*sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg

*in separate bowl lightly beat egg

*add egg, butter, vanilla and banana to flour mixture

*stir to just combine

*pour into prepared pan, cook 20 minutes until toothpick is clean

HONEY CINNAMON FROSTING

1/2c + 2tbs powdered sugar

2oz butter, room temp

1 1/2 tsp honey

1/8 tsp cinnamon

*cream all ingredients together until light and fluffy - about 5 minutes.

*** i ended up finely chopping walnuts and adding to the top - just to be fancy***

Chocolate Balsamic Prune Cookies

evidently i'm becoming increasingly negative. or so my love says. i like to think of myself as humorously wry - i find stupid things funny and just so happen to think there are a lot of stupid things out in the world. hmmm ok well i suppose i should try and get myself to be more positive to counter-act this negative force.

here's something friggin possitive: these fudgy dense, yet fat-free, cookies. there are a few "secret ingredients" that i like to throw in when baking w/ chocolate that just seems to make life more positive (that's 1). those secrets include, but not limited to: coffee, cinnamon, prunes and balsamic vinegar. really they are positively (2) wonderful when paired with the dark silky goodness of chocolate. they are all ingredients that you would never really know are there but know you miss when they aren't - they are like a positive (3) outlook, or a silver lining of sorts.

so i included 2 of these above mentioned secret positives (4) in these healthy little treats. the result is a positively (5) chewy, rich and finely textured cookie that's super high in fiber and low in calories. don't worry you won't even know there is vinegar in these - yes i am positive (6) about that, trust me - think red wine and chocolate truffles.

i used sugar-in-the-raw so that that there is a little bit of a sugary crunch, i find this to be a positive (7) attribute; if you're not positive (8) you would agree just use regular brown sugar instead.

CHOCOLATE BALSAMIC PRUNE COOKIES

1/4c AP flour

1/2c whole wheat flour

1/4c buckwheat flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

1/2c + 1tbs cocoa powder

2/3c sugar in the raw / brown sugar - unpacked

1/2c prune puree *see note below*

1/3c yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

*preheat oven to 350F, line baking pan w/ parchment

*sift together fours, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder

*in separate bowl whisk together sugar, prune puree, yogurt, vanilla and vinegar

*stir in the flour mixture to the prune mixture

*place tbs fulls on prepared pan, smashing down with your fingers

*bake 10-12 minutes

**Prune Puree: soak 1c dried prune in near boiling water for 1-2 hours. Drain the prunes and puree in food processor until uniform and as smooth as you cab get it

Satsuma Almond Cake

i don't think anyone is aware of the fact that Louisiana produces some off the best citrus (in the whole friggin world). that's right - forget the totally worn out old florida navel oranges! annually my parents share their wealth and i get bundles of pink grapefruit, lemons & satsuma - sorry usps. anyways this monday morning the 1st of (hopefully many) my coveted fruits arrived at my door just as i was heading out to work. good way to start your day.

so that leads me to dinner last night. friends came over for dinner at the new apt and having all these delish satsuma sitting around staring at me demanded that i make this gluten free cake. the origins are italian and traditionally made with oranges and blanched almonds. i changed a few things: i added vanilla, used un-blanched almonds to give it a little extra layer of flavor and dressed it up a bit with a chocolate ganache wrap. oh and i served it with fresh whipped cream. what was the word my friend alexis used? i believe it was "heavenly" - i think - either that or "divine". I'm eating another piece right now - it only gets better with time. enjoy!

SATSUMA ALMOND CAKE

4 medium sized satsumas

6 large eggs

2 1/3c un-blanched almond meal / flour

1c sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

3oz chopped bittwersweet chocolate

1/3c cream

1/2 tsp instant coffee granules

*make cake:

*place satsumas in cold water, bring to boil and cook for 2hours

*drain and allow to cool completely

*preheat oven to 375F, grease an 8" spring form pan

*puree whole satsumas (everything, peel and all) in blender

*in separate bowl whisk together almond meal and baking powder

*in large bowl beat together the puree and sugar

*add eggs one at a time, blending completely between each

*add in vanilla

*stir in almond meal mix, mix to combine

*pour into prepared pan and cook 1hour, until toothpick is clean

*allow to cool completely, remove from pan then ice edges w/ ganache

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

*heat cream over medium heat until bubbles form around edges

*turn heat off and add in chocolate and coffee, let sit 2 minutes then stir to combine

*let cool slightly then ice cake as desired

Persimmon Chips

see previous post concerning why / how this fruit chip creation has come into being. i found this recipe from a fellow foodie over at vanillagarlic. let me just explain that i only had the pleasure of eat 2 or 3. after i went to bed josh unapologetically consumed every last one of these chips - that's right i've found a way to trick him into eating 2 whole persimmons. of-course this time around i wish that at least a handful would have remained - i really liked these especially after discovering that they only cost 50 cents each. so in other words this was a $1 snack food. you can't beat that - you just can't.

PERSIMMON CHIPS

2 Fuyu persimmons

1 lime - juiced

1c sugar

1c water

*preheat oven to 200F, line pans w/ parchment

*slice the persimmons w/ a mandolin set to "2" or 1/16"

* sprinkle the lime juice over the slices

* in saute pan bring sugar and water to boil, then bring down to a simmer

*add persimmons and simmer for 2 minutes, take off heat

*with slotted spoon remove the slices and place on prepared pans

*cook in oven for 2 1/2 hours - flipping over each slice half way through. turn oven off and let the chip dry out for a few hours.

Apple Chips

if you just so happen to have read more than one entry into this blog you would probably know that one of my life long quests is to find a way to get josh to eat something somewhat healthy. snacks, as with most of us, are his demise. after i head off to bed he stays up for hours munching down on anything that can be considered bite sized, is loaded with salt and/or sugar and is easily on hand. terrible! i wake up in the morning ( pre-sunrise) and recount his night via the empty candy wrappers and cracker crumbs. *insert sign here*

hmmm, what can be done here? well fruit chips are always a hit around this apt - so i see no reason why i shouldn't be making tasty little treats here in my own kitchen. these apple chips are so tasty! i've honestly never had an apple chip that had so much flavor. the key here is to "marinate" the apple slices in the simple syrup and then making sure to drain and pat pseudo-dry before putting them in the oven.

APPLE CHIPS

1 Fuji apple

1 1/2 - 2 tsp lemon juice

1c sugar

1c water

*bring the sugar and water to a boil in a large skillet, bring back down to a simmer for about 1minute, turn off heat and let cool slightly

*slice the apples with a mandolin set to "2.0" or about 1/16"

*sprinkle lemon juice over the apples

*place apple slices in the simple syrup and let marinate for at least 2 hours

*preheat oven to 200F, line baking sheet(s) w/ parchment

*remove the slices one at a time from the syrup and lightly pat dry

*place the slices in a single layer on the prepared pan and place in oven

*let bake for 2 hours, flipping each slice halfway through

*turn the heat off and let dry in oven for about 2-3 hours until crisp

Chocolate Mocha Shortbread

i can say that before i whipped these together last night - pre-house guest arrival, post dinner - that i didn't really knew what shortbread was. yeah weird for a "baker" but it just wasn't something that i found even sounded appetizing. short-bread? hmmm not nearly as appealing as say - gingersnap. (mmm gingersnap - yum).

so back to the shortbread i made: i found this recipe in my "cookies" cookbook by martha stewart. to be totally honest the main reason i picked this one was because we have no eggs in the frig. and well - this is chocolate (always gets points) and very simple (check plus plus). i have to say that i really like this treat. josh and i decided to rename it dehydrated brownies cus that's really what it seems like your eating. don't take that name the wrong way - they are totally delicious, just reminds you of a brownie in smell and basic taste, but the texture is obviously lacking the gooey fudgeness of a real brownie. these would be perfect for a christmas gift.

CHOCOLATE MOCHA SHORTBREAD (aka: dehydrated brownies)

1/2c + 2tbs flour

1/4c dutch processed cocoa powder

pinch salt

2 tsp instant coffee granules

4oz butter at room temp

1/2c powdered sugar

*preheat oven to 350F, grease a 8" round cake pan

*sift together flour, cocoa, salt and coffee

*in separate bowl cream butter to light and fluffy

*beat in the powdered sugar

*beat in the cocoa mixture to fully combined

*evenly spread the dough into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes

*cook in pan 5 minutes then cut into 8 wedges, cook on wire rack

*when fully cooled sprinkle with powdered sugar

Gluten Free _ Vegan Roasted Pear Muffins

I'm officially back on my gluten-free / vegan baking kick again. that is until next week when i'll be inthralled over some new obsession, i think its gunna be ginger, but you just never know. my (best mom ever) mom sent me some fruit in the mail including but not limited to pears. the majority made the journey up north fine, but sadly two had some issues. these "issues" called for immediate use - alright then crack open the ole' babycakes cookbook and see what we concoct.

the original recipe called for a mix of granny smith and pink lady apples - needless to say i ignored that and used my pears. i have to say these little guys are delish! i sat down to eat a half before heading out on errand - you know i "needed the fuel" and seriously could not stop shoveling the soft and slightly gooey goodness into my grateful mouth. let me know if anyone - is there anyone out there anyways? i think i am talking to myself here - tries these with apples.

GLUTEN-FREE_VEGAN ROASTED PEAR MUFFINS

(Roasted Pears:)

1lb pears, peels, cored & chopped into 1" pieces

1/4c agave

2 tbs lemon juice

*preheat oven to 325F. line pan w/ foil

*toss together all ingredients and place on pan

*cook for 35 minutes

(Muffin Batter:)

1c gluten free AP flour

1/4 tsp xanthin gum

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbs cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4c coconut oil

1/3c agave nectar

1/3 almond /rice/soy milk

1/2 c loosely smashed roasted pears (see below)

*keep oven at 325F, line muffin pans

*sift together all dry ingredients

*pour in oil, milk and agave - stir to fully combine

*fold in mashed pears

*add 1/3c of batter to each muffin cup

*cook for 22 minutes until toothpick is clean

Gluten Free Banana Pecan Bread

i know - how many breads can one person make in a week?! well let me explain. I order most all of my groceries from an online grocer here in the city. you shop, they deliver the next day whenever you choose. sometimes they fubb up your order. nothing huge, but sometimes i'll get a conspicuous can of dog food or a yukon gold potato in place of a sweet potato - you get the picture. so this time around we received an extra bundle of bananas - which brought our total supply for the week to 12. this may seem plausible to a family of four - or someone who ate bananas everyday. but alas i don't eat them unless in baked goods and really only get them because it is one of the only fruits josh will eat without a coating of butter and sugar.

alright so lets make some baked goods! first off is this great gluten-free banana bread. i love it. high in protein and fiber, low in sugar. its the perfect way to start your day - woohoo!

I used ghee in this which is an kind of cultured butter. a friend of mine from india loaned me a bit of it awhile back after i quizzed him on its uses, etc ect. But, understandably if you do not have ghee on hand just go ahead a use coconut oil in its place. ghee gives an incredibly rich "depth of flavor" to this bread that you just can't beat.

GLUTEN-FREE BANANA PECAN BREAD

3 small - medium bananas, mashed

4 large eggs

1/2c honey

3 tbs melted ghee / coconut oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4c arrowroot

1/2c coconut flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1c chopped pecans

*preheat oven to 350F, grease your loaf pan

*whisk together the eggs, honey, ghee/oil & mashed bananas

*in separate bowl sift together the salt, cinnamon, arrowroot, coconut, soda & baking powder

*pour the egg mixture into the dry, mix to combine

*fold in the pecans

*pour into prepared pan and cook for 50 minutes

Persimmon, Date and Pecan Bread

up until about 2 years ago persimmons were one amongst a list of fruits that i was convinced simply could not be purchased from a grocery store. my father (in my mind) is the persimmon master. every time he would walk through the doors of our camp and plop down a few of those oddly cartoonish orange fruits i would get so excited because, in all seriousness those perfectly ripe little guys were a heavenly mix between an orange and jello. our family favorite ritual is to peel a few of them (enjoy all the mess), throw them in the freezer for about 30 minutes then gorge ourselves on the amazingly complex textures and tastes of this low country louisiana delicacy. as a matter of fact when josh and i were in town visiting my family a little over a month ago my dad trucked a few into the house. don't you love how some things never change?

when i moved to NYC i began to notice that persimmons were sold in the grocery. this was an interesting phenomenon considering this was never the case in louisiana. the logistics would never work out - from what i knew these things are all mush. try putting that in a pyramid and leaving it out for a week or two in hopes some poor schmuck would buy one. well i bought one one day - i just needed some kind of comfort food and this seems perfect. that was a horrific experience - yikes. biting into one of those, thinking you will get a mouthfull of sweet goo was like drinking from a cup filled with sprite when you thought it was water.

needless to say i had never heard of the other persimmons that happened to look just like my childhood ones. these are so grandly called FUYU persimmons and as i discovered; they are not suppose to soft and gooey like my beloved memories. ok, i can accept that then, but what the hell do you do with them then? make bread i suppose. i was rummaging around blogs and found a recipe for persimmon bread. alright then - lets make some changes and do this!

i really like the finished product, its great for breakfast or afternoon snack.

PERSIMMON, DATE & PECAN BREAD

1 egg

2/3c sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 c grated persimmons (about 3)

1/3c oil

1 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

1 1/2c AP flour

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp (heaping) cardamon

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2c chopped pecans

1/2c chopped dates

*preheat oven to 350F, grease a loaf pan

*whisk together the first 5 ingredients (through to oil)

*in separate bowl sift together the salt, flour and spices

*mix in oil mixture to just combine

*fold in pecans and dates

*pour into loaf pan and cook 45-50 minutes until toothpick comes out clean

Halloween and Pumpkin Seeds

growing up my favorite part of halloween was when my mom oven roasted the fresh pumpkin seeds my father piled into a messy heap - stringy pumpkin goo left in tact - as he gutted the enlarged orange squash in preparation of carving. she would sift through the seeds with her hands, dump them on a baking sheet, (generously) add salt and through them in the oven, lingering pumpkin strings and all. this last part is crucial. when you leave bits of flesh on the seeds they toast up and add an extra layer of crunch and flavor. ahhh! i can't get enough of them.

so when josh brought home a pumpkin last night, immediately my brain went to roasted seeds - and the fun of carving of-course. so we carved the little guy up, sat him atop the balcony ledge, lit him up and enjoyed the gloomy overcast NYC skyline.

and yes - that is the empire in the background (orange, black and white to be festive).

OVEN ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

1 1/2c fresh pumpkin seeds

1-2 tbs olive oil

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

*preheat oven to 350F, line baking pan with parchment

*toss seeds with oil and salt

*spread evenly on prepared pan, cook for 30-35 minutes stirring occasionally