Dining with the Bloggers - November 30th

This week I want to tip my hat to my partner in this little venture, Zarah. I don't know how that girl does it all - studying, working and blogging. My guess is she does each exceedingly well too. I know she keeps a mighty fine food blog!

Not too long ago, Zarah gave her blog a new look and set up some categorized archives which are a huge aid in browsing the many recipes she has posted on her blog. This week I spent some time looking through those recipes and picked out a couple to try. I was sorely tempted by many of the great looking sweets and baked goods I found at Food and Thoughts, but after dallying in the bakery for much too long and sneaking a quick look at the sweeties, I started perusing the savory bits. And there I found my dinner: Mormor salat and vegetarian meatballs.

Both were very easy, though I managed to over-process the bean mixture for the meatballs. Even so, they tasted great, and it's obvious if I hadn't been so heavy-handed on the pulse button, they would have had a really nice texture. Even in their less-than-chunky state, the firm little bits of green bean provided a nice contrast to the rest of the ingredients. I went for quick and easy, so I just spooned the mixture directly into the hot frying pan (the same one where I had sauteed the pepper, garlic, and smoked paprika), forming little patties. On Zarah's recommendation, I used smoked paprika rather than chili powder and she's right - it has a wonderful smoky flavor that is just perfect for these "meat" balls.

The salad is as simple as simple can be - heavy cream, sugar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper tossed with a delicate lettuce. I used a red Boston lettuce and (I'm with M. on this...) threw in some cherry tomatoes. It was very, very good! If I hadn't cut the recipe in half, I expect I would have consumed the entire head of lettuce. I'll bet this dressing would be nice on a fruit salad too.

It's been a pleasure dining with Zarah - I hope there will be a day, not too far off, when we can really and truly dine together. I'll keep my fingers crossed!

This is my last weekly Dining with the Bloggers post. I am finding a weekly schedule for something like this leaves little time for the more creative aspects of food blogging. I will certainly continue to try recipes from many different food blogs, and I'm sure there will be times where I'll want to share what I've found, but it will be when the spirit moves me, rather than every Wednesday!

Dining with the Bloggers - November 23rd

When I started thinking about what I wanted to make for Dining with the Bloggers this week, bread came immediately to mind. The only problem was I didn't start thinking about it until Monday night and there simply wasn't enough time to make a yeast bread, which is what I really had my heart set on. In any case, when I thought of bread I thought of Kelli at Culinary Epiphanies. With her "BOTW" or Bread of the Week posts, it's a natural place to go looking for a bread recipe. She also seems to favor whole grains, which appeals to me.

I found a yeast bread I really wanted to try, but started doing the math and realized I would be up all night. So, I searched on "quick" to see what kind of quick breads I might turn up and found a recipe for Spiced Applesauce Bread which sounded pretty great. I didn't have any applesauce on hand, but did have a three Ginger Gold apples that had been hanging out in the refrigerator a little too long. Tuesday morning I quickly pared the apples and cooked them with just a bit of water. After a few minutes I mashed them with a potato masher and measured out the amount needed for the recipe. There was a little extra sauce which I polished off (I believe that's referred to as the cook's reward?) . It was surprisingly sweet, despite the fact that I hadn't added any sugar.

I made the bread Tuesday evening after work. Such a simple recipe! The wet ingredients are mixed together in a bowl, the dry ingredients are sifted in and then blended in. I used a cup of whole wheat flour as Kelli suggested, but forgot to add the pecans. The bread was beautiful and really good. I love raisins in quick breads, so I'd be very tempted to add them (as well as the pecans) another time.

Old apples may not turn black and ugly like old bananas, but I do find myself avoiding them as they get older. I like crisp, juicy apples, and I think apples tend to get mealy and mushy the longer they sit. Anyway, I think this bread may be the answer to that problem! Of course, plain old applesauce is another great alternative, but this bread is a real treat - thanks Kelli!

Be sure to stop by Zarah's and see what she's cooked up!

Dining with the Bloggers - November 16th

Another busy week and another hasty entry for Dining with the Bloggers... I'm so sorry!! I'm especially sorry because this week I am Dining with Niki at Esurientes - The Comfort Zone, and there are so many tempting options that I must forgo for now due to time (and calorie) constraints: Flourless Chocolate Orange Cake, Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge Cake, Dutch Honeycake (I came so close to making this), Armenian Nutmeg & Walnut Cake... You get the idea. Someday soon I hope to get around to each and every one! Niki has such a beautiful blog with great photos and entertaining writing. It is truly a pleasure when a new post shows up!

Now you needn't feel too sorry for me. I may have chosen one of the simplest of recipes from Niki's blog, but it is still one that caught my eye right when she posted it - Honeyed Figs. The recipe is designed for those hard, withered, organic figs (see below - do you think mine qualify?) rather than the moist ones put up in sealed packets by Sunmaid and the like.



I ended up with Black Mission figs which I had not tried before. They're smaller and not as fleshy as the Calimyrna figs with which I am acquainted. The small size of the Black Mission figs is nice, but I think I prefer the consistency of the Calimyrna figs.

The figs are simmered in a honey syrup that is flavored with orange, cardamom pods and bay leaves. I followed Niki's advice and upped the number of cardamom pods to 4. Once cooked, those "kangaroo poo looking pellets" (as Niki referred to her figs) are transformed into tender, sweet morsels. There's a hint of orange and I suspect that a better trained palate would discern the tastes of cardomom and bay as well. Like Niki, I am now left with the "problem" of how to make the best use of these figs. The recipe recommends serving them with yogurt or creme fraiche and pistachios. I also think the figs with a little of the syrup would be very nice on top of some ice cream. But, just now, popping them in my mouth one by one works for me.

Zarah is working like crazy to finish up her assignment for school, so I'm not sure if she's going to get a chance to Dine with the Bloggers. She may post a little later, so you could stop by and check. While you're there, maybe you could leave her an encouraging word or two.

UPDATE: Bless her heart, Zarah managed to squeeze in some time for Dining with the Bloggers. She found a really lovely blog that's new to me and made some delicious apple scones. Mmmm...

Dining with the Bloggers - November 9th

Oh dear, I don't know where my head is... I almost forgot about Dining with the Bloggers! No, no, I didn't forget to eat (never!), it just slipped my mind to post... well almost.

For a busier-than-usual week I found an easier-than-usual recipe - Chubby Cat's Chicken Parcels with Ginger and Garlic. I haven't been eating chicken as much as usual lately, but generally it is one of my stand-bys, so a new recipe is always welcome. I think you could just as easily use a boneless chicken breast for this, but I used a regular, bone-in one. This method of cooking - en papillote - is so easy and versatile and the end result is meat that is especially moist. Chubby Cat's ginger and garlic marinade is super easy - especially if you cheat and use bottled minced ginger as I did. That leaves very little chopping to do - just enough to make you feel like you're cooking!

As I said, the chicken came out very moist and tender. Lightly scented with ginger and garlic, leftovers would be lovely sliced for a sandwich. I stuffed my leftovers into the freezer, but with the Christmas frenzy close upon us, I'm sure I'll be pulling them out very soon!

Chubby Cat's blog, chubby cat cooks, is loaded with equally good looking recipes. It is well organized with various recipe categories (meat recipes, pasta recipes, poultry recipes...) and has a spare, clean look. Most posts have a recipe and each recipe is accompanied by some personal notes giving a little context. It is definitely a good place to look when you're in a hurry to find something tasty for dinner!

Zarah's had a week even crazier than mine, but I think we can count on her to still come up with something delicious to share!

Dining with the Bloggers - November 2nd

In case you hadn't guessed, I am completely smitten with Italy. I'm not alone - it's a common affliction among Americans. Anyway, when I come across a food blog written in English by someone living in Italy, I stop and take notice. And when that food blog has gorgeous photos of the countryside and the food, I'm a happy camper. And when that food blog has delicious recipes, I am positively gleeful.

The blog of which I speak, Lucullian delights - an Italian experience, belongs to Ilva, a Swedish woman who lives in northern Tuscany with her Italian husband, three children, and Japanese dog. She started her English blog just a couple of months ago, but she also has a parallel Swedish blog that she started in June - Aglio e olio - en utflykt i det italienska köket.

I've bookmarked a number of Ilva's very tempting recipes, but this week finally got around to trying one of them - Schiacciata con l'uva. Schiacciata is the Tuscan version of focaccia, but this particular schiacciata is more of a dessert. Ilva didn't know what the grapes she uses for the schiacciata are called in English, but based on her description (small, blue, and very sweet), a commenter suggested they might be Concord grapes.

I don't see Concord grapes very often, but this past week I found them at both my regular grocery store and Trader Joe's. It was a sign - time to try Schiacciata con l'uva! The grapes were $5 a box, so I decided I would make do with a single box (about a pound), rather than the kilogram (2.2 pounds) called for by the recipe. Since I decided to seed them, I was glad to have the smaller amount of grapes. I also substituted a packet of dry yeast for the 25g of fresh yeast.

I had not cooked with Concord grapes before and I don't think I had ever tasted a Concord grape before. When I tasted one, I was a little worried about cooking with them. Though sweet with a pleasant taste, they have heavy skins, 1 - 4 big seeds in each, and jellyfish-like insides - quite different from the green and red seedless grapes I'm accustomed to eating. But after baking, they were transformed. The unpleasant texture was gone and they became deep purple and even sweeter - like the grape jelly we all grew up with.

The schiacciata was very good. Of course, I didn't heed Ilva's warning and tried some soon after it came out of the oven. Not only did I burn the roof of my mouth, I found it really does taste better once it has cooled down - the grape flavor is much more pronounced. Now let me give you another reason to let it cool before you cut into it - those grape juices stain! For a couple of panicky moments I thought I was going to have to live with a large grape stain on my counter. Fortunately, a little cleanser with bleach took it out.

I was perfectly happy with the ratio of bread to grapes and wouldn't have wanted to seed more grapes than I did, but I'm tempted to try this recipe with red seedless grapes, and I would use the full amount of grapes. Another time I would also cut back on the olive oil. The quarter cup used in the dough was fine, but the quarter cup drizzled over the grapes was too much - perhaps one or two tablespoons would be sufficient. All in all, though, this is a wonderful recipe and a nice introduction to Concord grapes!

Be sure to stop by Zarah's and see what she's prepared for you!

Dining with the Bloggers - October 26th

It's been a little busy around here lately and I've been eating from the freezer rather than cooking (unless reheating leftover beans and heating up burritos in the microwave counts as cooking?) It doesn't help that my kitchen hasn't recovered yet from this week's cookies...

I'm playing hooky from Dining with the Bloggers this week, but Zarah's not, so go have a taste of what she's cooked up. I'll be back on schedule next week!

Dining with the Bloggers - October 19th

Somehow in making the switch from haphazard, checking-when-I-think-of-it blog reading to using Bloglines, Julie's A Finger in Every Pie escaped my notice for a while. But no more, it is on my short list of blogs to check everyday. This is a blog worth reading and savoring.

I love that she has lots of recipes. I love that she has a category** called "Kitchen Disasters". I love her writing. And I love her Mulligatawny Soup.

I'm in the mood for soup these days. Actually, I'm always in the mood for soup. It's a meal in a bowl - simple and comforting. I had never tasted Mulligitawny soup before, but had been curious to try it ever since I first heard of it on the Soup Nazi episode of Seinfeld. For some reason I'd never sought out a recipe for it, but when I was getting caught up with Julie's blog and came across her recipe, I knew I had to try it.

I'm a little slow when it comes to chopping and measuring a long list of ingredients - I blame it on my small kitchen, but I know it's me. This recipe does have a long list, but it's a lot of spices and not too terribly much chopping. The only ingredient you might have trouble finding is tamarind paste. If you've got an Indian grocery nearby, you'll find it there. If not, you could try substituting some lemon or lime juice.

I prepared the soup with chicken stock but no chicken. It also has red lentils, leeks, onions, potatoes, carrots, garlic... Like I said, it's a long list! But the soup is amazing. It's one of those recipes where you puree part of it to create a thick creamy soup with chunks of vegetables. With all those spices, coconut milk, and tamarind paste, there all kinds of flavors to make it even more interesting. It makes a really big batch too - I ate it all week last week (yeah, it really was that good!) and still had some for the freezer.

So get on over to Julie's and print out that recipe. You're going to love this soup.

Zarah is back on-line, but unfortunately her stove is temporarily out of commission (don't worry, the stove is fine - just not hooked up at the moment). She does have a Dining with the Bloggers post planned, but it might be delayed slightly. I'm sure it will be worth waiting for!

**Speaking of categories... if you use Blogger, PLEASE go vote for them to add categories.

Dining with the Bloggers - October 12th

I just "discovered" this great food blog, but judging from the comments on their posts, I think I'm the only one that didn't know about it. The blog is Belly-Timber, a joint effort of Mrs. D and Chopper Dave - husband and wife, chef and photographer, and food bloggers extraordinaire. Between the two of them they've created a food blog with a sense of humor, great food, and beautiful photos.

The recipe that caught my eye was for Irish Soda Bread. As usual, I was looking for something that wasn't too fussy. You can't beat Irish Soda Bread for simplicity and this recipe delivers a great tasting loaf of bread with very little effort. Although Mrs. D's approach to mixing the dough looked like fun, I decided to mix all the ingredients except the extra 3/4 cup of flour in a bowl. I dumped this wet dough onto the extra 3/4 cup of flour and worked that in with my hands. This takes all of about 5 minutes. Mrs. D used whole wheat bread flour, which I couldn't find. I used regular flour this time, but I might try regular whole wheat flour plus some vital wheat gluten next time.

I had one little problem with the recipe - I didn't read the temperature correctly. I thought it said 550. I had a gut feeling that the temperature wasn't right, but I started out at 550 anyway. The smoke detector went off after 15 minutes at which time I checked the bread and found it was burned on the bottom, very dark on top, and obviously not yet cooked through (though it had risen nicely!). I turned the temperature down to about 400, stuck another cookie sheet under the first and covered the top of the bread with foil. That evening I emailed Mrs. D and sure enough - the correct temperature is actually 350. (The recipe appears on their blog as a photograph of a page in a cookbook, and the 3 looks nearly identical to the 5.)

What is truly amazing is that despite the abuse heaped on it, the bread was fantastic! I did have to trim off the bottom crust, but the interior was still moist and absolutely delicious. I've eaten Irish Soda Bread before, but not made it, and I remember it as being too dry. Not so with this loaf. I would have been pleased with this bread even if it had been a more complicated recipe, but for such an easy recipe to turn out so well is really gratifying.

Zarah still has no internet hookup at home, but sounds like she is thrilled with the new apartment. She plans to post from school, so stop by to see what she's been cooking in her new kitchen!

Dining with the Bloggers - October 5th

I have a feeling I'll be preaching to the choir when I tell you all that you really must spend some time reading Nic's blog, Bakingsheet. I expect that anyone that hangs around here is already very familiar with Nic's fantastic blog. I certainly don't keep up with all the food blogs (who could?), so I could be wrong, but I think Nic is one of the most prolific food bloggers out there. She usually posts five or six times a week. Her posts are generally succinct, loaded with information, and almost always capped off with a recipe. Just yesterday she had a wonderful essay on the origin of the word pumpernickel and, of course, a recipe. Best of all, it is obvious that Nic has amassed considerable expertise on the subject of baking and that she has a knack for sharing her knowledge with others.

Given all that, it seems a shame that the recipe I've chosen to highlight this week is not one of Nic's wonderful bread, cookie, muffin, or cake recipes. I just couldn't fit that in this week - sorry! But this is a wonderful recipe nonetheless. It is Pumpkin Spice Mocha, with a little bonus recipe for making your own pumpkin pie spice. It's easy to make, you probably have all the necessary ingredients on hand, and it tastes great! You'll see my picture below, but Nic has a much nicer photo in her post. I used skim milk and no pretty cinnamon stick garnish, so mine doesn't have quite the visual appeal of Nic's. I really liked it though. And after trying it a second time with a little added cream, I've decided I actually prefer it with skim milk (but that may be just me, skim milk is all I drink these days).

So go fix yourself a cup, get comfy in front of the computer, and take a little time to enjoy all that Bakingsheet has to offer!

I haven't heard a peep from Zarah since last week and the big move to the new apartment (and kitchen), so I'm not even sure if she has internet access yet. But if it's humanly possible for her to post, I'm sure she won't miss an opportunity to dine with the bloggers!

Dining with the Bloggers - September 28th

My first impression of Brownie Points was that it was a smart blog with a great look. Well, no wonder... Jocelyn (aka McAuliflower) is a scientist/artist from Eugene, Oregon, and it is apparent that she brings the sensibilities of both her callings to her food blog.

About a month ago I was excited to find that McAuliflower had posted a recipe for Bagel Dogs, an almost forgotten treat that I frequently enjoyed for lunch some years back. In case you're not familiar with this delicacy, it is a Hebrew National hotdog encased in a bagel. I believe I first came across bagel dogs in a deli or sandwich shop, but they were also available in the grocery store. I haven't seen them in ages.

This was my first experience making bagels, but I found McAuliflower's instructions easy to follow and the whole process relatively simple. The yeast dough is prepared quickly and easily in the food processor (another first for me) and rests for a mere five minutes before shaping - no rise time is needed. I had some trouble shaping the dough into a long rope, so even though flattening the "snake" with a rolling pin was no trouble, I wound up with irregularly shaped strips. No matter - the dough was forgiving and once baked, the bagel dogs were beautiful.

I followed McAuliflower's suggestions of adding cooked onion to the dough and sprinkling the tops with salt and dried garlic bits, so these bagel dogs had lots of flavor. I may have been a little overzealous with the onions, as the dough was still quite moist after baking. Not that I'm complaining - these were really and truly delicious. I had such a hard time limiting myself to just one. I reheated one for dinner Tuesday evening (wrapped in foil and then heated in the oven at 350F for 20-25 minutes) and it was just as good the second time around.

I am so happy to have been reunited with this old favorite - thanks McAuliflower!

Be sure to stop by Zarah's to see what she's cooked up for us!

Dining with the Bloggers - September 21st

There are a couple of people from my food blog circle of friends of which I can say, "I knew them when..." One is Alice - we first "met" on the Cooking Light BB. The other is Nupur - I was honored to host her first post, an entry for IMBB 11, back in January. Her post, which explains how to sprout lentils and then shares a recipe for Pan-fried Sprouted Lentils, is to this day one of the most popular on my blog.

Shortly after that IMBB, Nupur went on to start her own blog - One Hot Stove. Nupur, who lives in New York City, has a variety of recipes on her blog, from tempting baked goods, to traditional Indian fare, to her own take on some classics using unexpected ingredients. Recently she began a series of posts on foods from the Indian state that she calls home, Maharashtra. The series is titled "The A-Z of Marathi Food" and will present a new recipe each time beginning with the letter A and progressing to Z. First was "A is for Amti", then "B is for Bhendi Fry and Bharli Vaangi", and who knows what C will bring!

As soon as I saw Nupur's post on Amti, I knew I wanted to make it, but first I had to make a trip to the Indian grocery store to buy a few ingredients. I love an excuse to buy new and unfamiliar ingredients and my most recent acquisitions were jaggery (much like brown sugar), Shahi jeera (black cumin seeds), red chili powder, and toor dal (yellow split peas). I should have paid more attention to the fact that I was running low on a couple of the more familiar ingredients - cumin seeds and coriander seeds - but unfortunately it wasn't until I began cooking that I realized I didn't have enough of either. Rather than attempt a last minute trip to the store, I cut back on the amounts of the spices in the Amti masala to correspond with the amount of cumin seed that I had on hand (only one teaspoon of the masala is needed to prepare the Amti). Unfortunately, I realized after I had prepared the masala that I needed more cumin seeds for preparing the Amti itself - aaahhh! So rather than including the cumin seeds in the tadka, I included ground cumin with the other other spices that were supposed to be added to the oil and onion mixture before the cooked dal were added. Oops. So I threw them in after the dal. Next time I will do better. I promise.

In spite of all my foul-ups, the Amti was really delicious (of course I am partial to anything with beans). So imagine how good it must be when properly prepared! I ate the leftovers for dinner tonight and enjoyed it equally well the second time around, though I did need to add a little water to thin it out. I can't wait to see what the rest of the alphabet brings... I've already got my eye on B!

Zarah is still hard at work on a school assignment, but devoted food blogger that she is, I have no doubt she will have found another wonderful blog and recipe to share with us!

Dining with the Bloggers - September 14th

Sometimes it's fun to wander around among new and unfamiliar blogs, and occasionally you happen upon one that is just to your liking. I found such a blog this week - it belongs to Kate and is called Four Obsessions: Reading, Writing, Cooking and Knitting. I don't share all these obsessions, but they are most definitely all of interest to me at one level or another. And even though Kate doesn't bill her blog as a food blog, it does have a feature that will appeal to all food bloggers - an index of recipes in the sidebar!

Nearly every recipe sounded appealing, particularly things like Chocolate Polenta Pudding Cake, and Chocolate Orange Sorbet. But with my weekly cookie regimen, I felt obliged to resist these tempting treats and find something more from the "good for you" camp. I didn't have to look far. In a recent post, Kate described an amazing looking dinner of beer-can chicken, roast sweet potato wedges, buttermilk biscuits, and Alice Waters' coleslaw. Her favorite dish from the meal (and the one she provided a recipe for) was the coleslaw, so I decided to try it myself.

I risked life and limb and pulled out my much neglected mandoline at Kate's urging. She's right - it produces finely shredded cabbage which is perfect for this coleslaw. I usually end up with a much coarser cut, which is OK when you're using a creamy dressing, but for this lime juice and olive oil dressing, I think the finer cut works much better. The coleslaw also has jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced red onion, and a generous amount of cilantro. I would have loved some of that beer-can chicken alongside, but I had to settle for a pan-fried chicken breast. The coleslaw was easy to make, lovely to look at, and very good. I think it's safe to say this won't be the last time I dip into Kate's recipe file!

Zarah has been hard at work this week working on an assignment for school, but I suspect she took some time out to dine with the bloggers... after all a girl's gotta eat!

Dining with the Bloggers - September 7th

I can't believe how fast the summer went! There is still some warm weather yet to be enjoyed and the abundant September produce to look forward to, but there are signs everywhere that autumn is on the way. The kids are back in school, the lawn is a tad browner, the garden is looking a little scraggly, and Dining with the Bloggers is back!

This year promises to be an exciting one for Dining with the Bloggers, but I can't tell you why just yet. For now you'll have to be content to read about the delicious dishes that Zarah and I have sampled from the wide, wide world of food blogs.

I have been interested in cooking Indian food for some time now. I have long been reading and drooling over my numerous cookbooks on the subject, but only recently have I finally given it a try. As a a true novice, I am glad to have found that there are a number of food blogs that focus on Indian cuisine and that provide wonderful recipes and helpful tips.

At Mahanandi, Indira has a beautiful blog with many tempting recipes and gorgeous photos. In addition to traditional recipes, Indira also posts recipes that make use of vegetables that she can buy where she now lives - here in the US.

This week I tried two of Indira's recipes: tomato rasam and Guggullu. Because I didn't make it to the farmers market this week and couldn't find any really ripe tomatoes in the grocery store, I used canned tomatoes for the tomato rasam. It was very good - not as clear as what I've had in my local Indian restaurant (probably because my canned tomatoes were packed in puree) and sweeter than I remember, but spicy and delicious. Its spiciness took me by surprise - I don't normally think of black pepper as packing a punch like that!

The Guggullu was wonderful as well. A beautiful mixture of black-eyed peas, chili pepper, tomato, red onion and corn that is seasoned with turmeric and lime juice. Although Indira provided this recipe as an example of her "yogi diet", with its filling beans and corn, that burst of lime, and definite eye appeal, this dish will not leave you feeling deprived in any way.

I have no idea what Zarah has up her sleeve this week, so you'll just have to stop by and find out for yourself!

Dining with the Bloggers - June 8th

I think summer arrived yesterday. We had a blazing hot and humid day - as is typical of DC summers - capped by a dramatic thunderstorm in the evening. Thanks to Dining with the Bloggers (and more specifically, Reid), I had the perfect summer evening treat waiting in my fridge for a quick spin in the ice cream maker.

The theme this week is "snacks" and originally I was thinking in terms of a salty snack or an appetizer, but I've already talked about those great roasted chickpeas, and I was having trouble finding an appetizer that appealed to me. I don't know why I had initially excluded sweets when thinking of possible snacks, but the fact is a goodly part of the many snacks I've eaten over the years have been sweet. And I can't count how many times I've dipped into a carton of ice cream or other frozen confection for a little relief from the summer heat!

When I came across Reid's recipe for Kumquat sorbet I recalled that I had just seen some little packs of kumquats at Whole Foods. When I saw them I had done a brief double take, thinking "hmm, those are interesting, wonder what you do with them?", but moving on pretty quickly. When I found Reid's recipe I was glad for an opportunity to try kumquats and luckily they still had some at the store.

Making the sorbet was very simple - the kumquats are cooked briefly in a sugar syrup, pureed together with the syrup, and frozen in an ice cream maker. Either lemon or orange juice is added to the mix before freezing. The sorbet is sweet, tart and delicious! It froze beautifully, too. I had some more tonight and unlike the ice cream I've made (which has always been just part cream), it is still very scoopable even after a whole day in the freezer. I think it would be great served with chocolate cake or even chocolate ice cream. I have more kumquats, so I'm planning to make some more sorbet, but next time I'll try the orange juice rather than the lemon juice. The kumquats together with the lemon juice are quite a puckery combination and I'm thinking the orange juice might moderate the tartness just a bit. Be it with lemon juice or orange juice, I'll be making this sorbet again and again. Thanks Reid for a great recipe!!

With summer here, I'm anxious to spend some time visiting the farmers' market and looking to it for inspiration. I hope to dream up a few creations of my own, too. Dining with the Bloggers will be taking a vacation until September, but it'll be back!

If you haven't already, go see what Zarah is serving up for a snack and wish her luck on her exam while you're at it. Have a great summer everyone!

Dining with the Bloggers - June 1st

This week's Dining with the Bloggers theme is "Healthy/Lowfat/Light". Just in time too...I just got back from two weeks in Sicily, remember?

It's easy to find all sorts of tempting recipes on food blogs, but it starts to get a little more difficult when you narrow the field to "healthy". Thankfully, amidst all the yummy baked goods, there are some great recipes for those days in between indulgences, when you're trying to eat more carefully.

This week the recipe that caught my eye was over on Molly's blog, Orangette. It's a recipe for Carrot Fennel Soup adapted from Amanda Hesser's Cooking for Mr. Latte. The original recipe calls for sour cream, but Molly's version omits it and I didn't miss it one bit. I love pureed vegetable soups - they're thick and filling without the fat or calories of a cream soup. This one is particularly good and perfect for spring. The pairing of carrot and fennel was new to me, and I really liked it. The soup has a wonderful light taste - slightly sweet from the carrots, a hint of anise from the fennel, and a bright note from the orange juice. It's easy to make and delicious.

Don't forget to stop by at Zarah's - I'm sure she's found something both good and good for you!

Dining with the Bloggers - May 25th

French. This is the theme I've been biting my nails over. I know nothing about French cuisine and would be hard pressed to describe it. What exactly qualifies as "French"?

True to form I put off finding a recipe until the last moment, at which time I wrote Zarah in a panic. Dear Zarah wrote back with a bunch of suggestions including Puy lentils, "...it doesn't get much more French than Puy lentils!", she said. Did someone say lentils? I can do lentils.

Not only did Zarah steer me towards Puy lentils, she specifically pointed me in the direction of Moira's blog, Who Wants Seconds?, and her Puy Lentil Salad with Feta Cheese. I remembered this salad from IMBB 11 and thought it was a fantastic idea. If you're not already familiar with Moira's blog, it is definitely worth a visit - in fact it's worth a regular visit. Who Wants Seconds? has gorgeous photos and well-written posts. When I first visited it (in late January, while doing the IMBB 11 round-up) it looked so polished I was shocked to find out that it was a mere 11 days old!

Moira's Puy lentil salad is a cinch to throw together. I'm pretty pokey in the kitchen, but I had dinner on the table in under an hour. The salad consists of lentils, carrot, celery, onion, green beans, feta, and cilantro and is dressed with toasted sesame oil and rice vinegar. The feta cheese really pulls this salad together and makes it a meal. It is delicious and light, but still very satisfying. Thanks Moira (and Zarah)!

So did Zarah find some great French food? Mais oui! Pay her a visit and see for yourself!

Dining with the Bloggers - May 18th

Back in Sicily, Chuck and I hatched this little plot... Chuck is always inquiring about my little kitchen and we were talking about the upcoming Dining with the Bloggers. The theme would be beverages and I felt that the hardest part would be finding the recipe. The topic came up for discussion several times and both Bob and Chuck would suggest things that I could make for the occasion and I would always remind them that it had to be a recipe posted on another food blog. Then when we were in Taormina, we had this wonderful, lemony concoction at the San Domenico Palace, and I decided to break all the rules.

Originally, I was thinking that I would ignore the most basic "rule" of Dining with the Bloggers and tell you about a beverage that (as far as I knew) had not been posted on any blog, but then my co-conspirator Chuck decided he would post about this beverage on his blog. My honor was saved! Well, almost. Actually, I'm still cheating some - I've never made this myself and I'm going to post photographs.

We were having lunch at the restaurant by the pool, when we saw this beverage being prepared for someone else. It is prepared tableside, which I've decided is a fantastic marketing tool. The moment they run the zester over that lemon, the scent captures the attention of each neighboring table. You sit, mesmerized, watching as the drink is prepared. Before you know it, you're ordering it for yourself. I may not remember its name, but I do remember its ingredients: lemon sherbet, prosecco, vodka, and lemon zest. Chuck has a great description of the preparation and here are a few photos...







As Bob said, "simple and elegant". With warm weather coming, I can't wait to try making this myself. Hope you'll enjoy it too!

I'm sure Zarah has found a wonderful beverage to try that really was posted on a food blog. Stop by and check it out!

Dining with the Bloggers - April 27th

Nothing like a little serendipity. When Zarah and I decided to schedule our Dining with the Bloggers themes in advance, we picked a bunch of themes and assigned dates without giving it much thought. As it turned out, the theme for this week - my last Dining with the Bloggers post before leaving for my vacation in Sicily - is Pasta!

I have two pasta recipes to tell you about this week. One is an old favorite and the other was new to me this week, but is destined to become another favorite.

My old favorite is probably the first recipe I ever made from a food blog - well before I started my own. It is Spicy Lentil Sauce from the hungry tiger. Come to think of it, this recipe was probably my introduction to red lentils. They are so cheap, cook so quickly, and taste so good! I've made this recipe several times now and really enjoy it. There are no specific amounts given, so you feel like you're winging it - which is kind of fun! A real advantage of this recipe is that if you keep some red lentils around, you can make it on the spur of the moment. You're likely to find all the other necessary ingredients in your pantry.

My new found favorite, from Rowena at **Rubber Slippers in Italy**, is Spaghetti con Agnello e Cipolle (spaghetti with lamb and onions). Rowena is from Hawaii and is now living in the Lombardia province of Italy. I love reading about her experiences in Italy and enjoy delving into her archives to find posts about a visit to an interesting small town, a wonderful bakery, or a new find at the market. I recently found this spaghetti recipe which sounded easy, and as luck would have it turned out to be a recipe that let me use up a number of things. I cheated a bit and used ground lamb - this made the prep work a little simpler and also allowed me to buy just the amount I needed. Everything else was on hand. I used up that big old red onion I bought for a long forgotten recipe, the tail end of a bottle of white wine, and the ends of two boxes of spaghetti (one regular, one spelt). In addition to the above mentioned ingredients, this dish also has a moderate amount of curry powder in it. All in all, it is a beautiful medley of flavors!

Be sure to pay a visit to Zarah to see what she's cooked up this week. My next Dining with the Bloggers post will be on May 18th, but I believe Zarah will be sharing some interesting finds while I'm away.

Dining with the Bloggers - April 20th

So what was that I was saying last week? Oh yeah, "I'm going to be good". Ha! This is one of those weeks. It started with a cookout at my parents, followed the next night by dinner out with my family to celebrate three birthdays, and then I had to make a cake. Yes, following close on the heels of cheese week, this week our Dining with the Bloggers theme is "A Cake".

Well, I can't complain too much. Any excuse for a cake is good enough for me and you don't have to search too hard among all those food blogs out there to find some mighty tempting cake recipes. Actually, this week I didn't have to search at all as I found this recipe in the course of my regular wanderings several weeks ago. It is Deb's (of In My Kitchen) recipe for Chocolate Gingerbread Cake. I love chocolate anything, but this combination of chocolate and ginger sounded especially appealing to me. The cake is a spicy gingerbread with additions of cocoa and chocolate chips. The cocoa gives the cake a nice undercurrent of chocolate, while a generous amount of ginger and other spices (cinnamon, cloves, allspice, pepper, and nutmeg) give it some zing. All this is punctuated with a smattering of chocolate chips - yum! Deb added a cardamom cream cheese icing, but since most of my cake was bound for the freezer, I decided to omit the frosting. The cake is delicious as is, but I'll bet it is stunning with the icing. I've always liked gingerbread, and this is a variation that I know I'll be making again.

Now off you go to Zarah's, where another yummy cake awaits!

Dining with the Bloggers - April 13th

The theme this week is cheese. I confess that this is my doing - it was a choice made several weeks back and by the time "cheese week" rolled around, I was wishing it was "lettuce week" or some such. I've been indulging a bit too much lately and with my trip to Sicily rapidly approaching, I feel the need to good (so that I can be bad in Sicily, of course).

With cheese I didn't see many options for being good (as in eating healthfully), so I just went for being good (as in delicious). I thought about pizza, but then came across Santos' Tomato Tart. If you take a look, you'll see...this is what pizza wants to be when it grows up.

Santos has a breezy way of describing how she cooks that makes it sound so easy. For the pastry she "...added all these little bits and bobs of cheese i had in the fridge...". She used a combination of parmesan, gruyere, fontina and pecorino. Yum. I looked in my fridge and found parmesan, leerdammer, and jack. Oh dear... do they even go together? I hemmed and hawed about which to use and which to leave out, but finally decided (in the spirit of "bits and bobs") to use them all.

I used cherry tomatoes, cut the pastry recipe in half, and made individual tarts. I had enough pastry for three but stuck one blob in the freezer for later and made just two tarts. They came out beautifully. It was delicious too - the rich cheesy crust and sweet roasted tomatoes were both wonderful. I have one more tart waiting to be reheated tomorrow...then I'm going to be good.

Zarah tried some pretty elegant mac 'n cheese. Oh my gosh that sounds good!