{recipe} Penne alla VodkaDecember 15th, 2011

One of my pre-New Year’s goals is to stop wasting so much food. Besides literally throwing money away, spoiled food wastes the efforts of the people, trucks and natural resources used to get that food to me in the first place. So in an effort to clean out my pantry, I’ve started planning meals around what I already have on hand.

Last week, as I was staring into the pantry, I discovered an about-to-expire can of San Marzano tomatoes. How nicely those would go with my about-to-expire cream! I thought. A quick search on one of my favorite food blogs, 101 Cookbooks, rendered a recipe for Penne alla Vodka, one of Mr. Gonzo’s favorite dishes at our local Italian place. Plus, it comes together quickly, which meant I could make dinner and play dinosaur cars with my Little GG.

This sauce can take as little or as long as you like. True, too, for dino cars, a game which can last hours or minutes (you never know). So in my adaptation of Heidi’s version (which she whips up in no time flat), I ended up leaving the sauce on simmer for close to an hour and it was fantastic. Just be sure to add the cream right before serving; no sense in spoiling perfectly good food with curdled cream now, is there?

Penne alla Vodka

10 garlic cloves
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, plus the liquid
¼ cup vodka
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red peppers
1 cup cream
1 pound penne
A few fresh basil leaves
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

  1. Prepare the pasta according to package directions.
  2. Peel the garlic cloves and lightly smash each clove using the back of your chef’s knife.
  3. Warm a medium skillet over medium heat; add the oil. When the oil swirls with the consistency of water, add the garlic and sauté, for three minutes or so, until lightly browned.
  4. Meanwhile, in a food processor or using a handheld blender, lightly pulse the tomatoes in their juice until they’re crushed but not puréed .
  5. Add the tomatoes to the skillet, bring to barely a boil, then reduce heat to low.
  6. Add the vodka, add the salt and crushed red peppers, and simmer over low for 15-20 minutes.
  7. Just before the pasta is done, are ready, add the cream to the tomato sauce and continue to simmer just a few minutes more, moving the heat to medium low, until the cream has warmed up. You can scoop out some or all of the garlic or you can smash it with a spoon if you’d like more than a hint of garlic.
  8. Serve the pasta in individual pasta bowls and add generous ladles of sauce to each bowl. Snip a few basil leaves over every dish, and pass with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Adapted from a recipe by Heidi Swanson.

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{recipe} Southern CornbreadDecember 12th, 2011


If you want comfort food done right, look no further than my friend Breanne, who grew up in the South surrounded by generations of women known for their Southern charm and secret recipes. This is a family that so closely guards some of its recipes that daughters and granddaughters are shooed out of the kitchen when fried chicken is on the menu, lest anyone pick up on the ingredients or the method and pass it along.

Luckily, their cornbread recipe isn’t under lock and key, and it’s the best I’ve ever had. This recipe comes together in a pinch and requires a basic piece of kitchen equipment found in every Southern kitchen: a well-seasoned cast iron pan. Breanne’s cornbread complements everything from soup to chili to your morning coffee. Just be sure to have lots of butter on hand.

Southern Cornbread

1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup enriched corn meal, plus a few tablespoons for the skillet
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup sugar
1 cup skim milk
1 egg
¼ cup vegetable oil, plus 2 tablespoons

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then fold in the milk, egg and a ¼ cup oil.
  3. Mix dry ingredients first, than add oil, milk, and egg.
  4. Prepare a 10” skillet by swirling 2 tablespoons oil in the blottom then sprinkling the skillet with about 1 tablespoon corn meal. Heat in the oven until hot and the corn meal begins to brown; don’t let it burn.
  5. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and add the batter. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown on top.
  6. Serve immediately with plenty of butter.

 

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Holiday Gift Guide – 2011December 8th, 2011

This year I decided to – hold onto your hat – wrap all of my gifts by December 1. Oh, and get my Christmas cards out by November 29 (so they’d arrive on December 1). Please know that this has never happened to me in the history of holiday madness, and only came about because my family went on a camping trip a few weeks before Thanksgiving, leaving me with 48 hours to play the role of Santa’s elf.

Now that I’m done, I can take a moment or two to wish upon a gift for myself. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or your favorite foodie, here are a few ideas to get you going:

Mauviel Roasting Pan
This is not something I technically need, since I have a perfectly functional roasting pan that I bought at Macy’s a thousand years ago, which lives in the garage until called into holiday duty. Oh, but the heft of the Mauviel! The way a turkey would obviously roast soooo much better than in my old pan! Le sigh.

Staub Crêpe Pan
My mother always made crêpes for us growing up, using a recipe from her Aunt Dottie. She’d dollap pats of sweet butter into the center, then roll the crêpes and drown them in warmed maple syrup. Presumably she made do with a standard skillet, but the name Staub alone makes me swoon, not to mention the gorgeous wood handle.

Poultry Shears
I just finished reading Kathleen Flinn’s excellent book and am seeing whole chickens in a new light. With this knife I could cut chickens and turkeys like a pro and enjoy not just better tasting meat, but the means (by which I mean, the bones) to make my own stock, virtually for free.

Jelly Roll Pan and Cooling Rack Set
I am in love with the jelly roll pans I already own and know a cooling rack fit to size would only make me fall even deeper in love. With this set, I picture myself making bacon in the oven, thereby eliminating the mess and time it takes to make on the stove. Plus I could make the baked chicken nuggets from The Kitchen Counter Cooking School for Little GG and finally erase the shame of boxed chicken nuggets once and for all.

Olive Wood Salt Keeper
I love olive wood, it reminds me of our trip to Jerusalem a few years ago and it’s gorgeous to look at. I’m absolutely positive my cooking would be that much more efficient with this little salt box next to my stove. No more pouring salt directly from the box into my hand, wasting countless flakes of salt. See, it practically pays for itself!

Marble Mortar and Pestle Ever since I positively drooled in envy as Stanley Tucci’s Paul Child plunked down the world’s largest marble mortar and pestle on Meryl Streep-as Julia’s kitchen counter, I’ve wanted one, too. I’ve never found one as humungous as the one in Julie & Julia, but the tones in this Crate & Barrel version are like owning a piece of the earth.

Cast Iron Tortilla Press
Chicken tortilla soup would become even more homemade if I could make the tortillas myself. Plus I’m a sucker for anything cast iron.


Learning to cook without a recipe is a goal I set for myself early on in blogging. I finally arrived a few weeks ago when I made this soup without consulting even an iPad cooking app. But I don’t want to stop there. This book by Pam Anderson, plus , by Michael Ruhlman, would definitely help me reach that goal.

These are just a few of my favorite things. What’s on your wish list this year?

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{recipe} Turkey ChiliDecember 5th, 2011


This turkey chili is a favorite around my house. I’ll make a batch to keep us warm on chilly, windy days, then freeze a few servings for hurried lunchtimes. If you’re gathering with friends tonight to watch Monday Night Football, this is an easy, fast recipe that’s definitely a crowd pleaser. You’ll get about eight portions, but the recipe doubles easily if you’ve got a full house. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions and tortilla chips. Get the recipe here.

Get More: Soups, Stews & Chilis 1 Comment

Holiday ScentsNovember 30th, 2011

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If, like me, you’re not a candle person but still love the smells of Christmas, try this idea for yourself. Bring a cup or so of water and a heavy half cup of mulling spices to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add a cinnamon stick or orange slices if you like. Soon your entire home will be fragrant with layers of allspice, cloves and cinnamon. Walk outside for a moment and when you return the scent will be that much more powerful. Just be sure to set a timer to remind yourself to add more water throughout the night. After all, no one wants a burnt pan for Christmas.

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More Maui, Please!November 21st, 2011

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Some people come to Maui for the sun. I come for the food: fish wriggling from the sea, too many varieties of poke to count, fresh fruit for breakfast and dessert. Even my morning coffee tastes better on Maui.

Today, our last day before heading home for Thanksgiving, I’m going to savor one last sunrise breakfast on the balcony before submitting myself to $7 snack plates and drinks served not from coconuts but from carts. Aloha!

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{recipe} Domino PotatoesNovember 7th, 2011


I’m a sucker for anything that involves potatoes: chips, fries, mashed, baked, in soups, as a side, as a main course. (Not stews though, wouldn’t want to mislead you.) So when I saw this blog post by Bon Appétit about domino potatoes and the bloggers who made them, I felt dizzy. Yet another method for baking potatoes? Get out.

Initially I felt a sense of “oh, no, this looks complicated” descend upon me as I read through the recipe. After all, the mandoline I’d bought in July of 2010 had never seen the light of day. I only remembered I owned it because I’d organized my kitchen a few weeks back. But since my dad the engineer was visiting for the afternoon, I figured if I couldn’t make heads or tails of the mandolin, then certainly he could. Which he did, although I also sliced one potato with a knife and you know what? It tasted just as good as those fancy-schmancy mandoline-sliced potatoes.

In theory, the recipe called for inserting a bay leaf between each potato slice. That sounded like medieval torture to me so I instead threw a few sprigs of fresh rosemary into the baking dish and hoped for the best.

Which is exactly what I got: the best potatoes I’ve had in ages. Simplified here for your cooking pleasure.

Domino Potatoes

1 large Idaho potato per person
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6-7 sprigs fresh rosemary
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

  1. Preheat oven to 425°.
  2. Peel potatoes and trim sides to form a rectangular cube. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice the potatoes into ¼” slices.
  3. Rub a baking dish with a tablespoon or two of butter. Stack the potato slices on their sides, mimicking the shape of the potato. Dollop small pats of butter on each potato. Place rosemary sprigs around the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  4. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

Adapted from a recipe by Bon Appétit.

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{recipe} Lentil Bruschetta DipNovember 3rd, 2011


This is one of those tried and true, too-easy-to-believe dips that’s more an assembly than a recipe. If you shop at Trader Joe’s, you’ve most likely seen these items but perhaps didn’t think to toss them together in a bowl for one of the most unusual dips you’ve ever tried.

If you’re a light eater, it’s perfect for dinner with your favorite cracker (I love Trader Joe’s pita crackers). And if your friends are vegetarians, they will love you for this fiber and protein packed dip. With the rustic flavor of the lentils, the hint of Italy in the bruschetta, the creaminess of the goat cheese and the freshness of the basil, chances are you’ll love it, too.

As much as I’d like to claim ownership of this tasty treat, this comes from my friend Skye, who patiently sat on the phone helping me find the ingredients at Trader Joe’s, even directing me to the right section of the refrigerator aisle. Is she a great friend or what?!

Lentil Bruschetta Dip

1 package steamed lentils
1 container bruschetta sauce
1 container crumbled goat cheese
1 handful basil leaves, chopped
2 boxes pita crackers

  1. Combine all ingredients but the crackers in a bowl.
  2. Serve with the pita crackers.

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{recipe} Easy Everyday Chicken & Barley SoupOctober 27th, 2011

The sun has been hiding behind the clouds here in San Diego for the past few days. Or weeks; I’m starting to lose count. But that’s just an excuse to swirl a generous dollop of unsalted butter in my Dutch oven before tossing in everything but the kitchen sink for an easy, everyday chicken soup that anyone can make.

My great aunt Betty was the master of creating a meal fit for kings out of leftover scraps. She’d peer into her refrigerator, survey the offerings, and distract any helpers with a stiff drink. What would emerge was her latest “kitchen sink” creation, as in everything but.

So this soup is in homage to Aunt Betty, and to all those home cooks out there who would rather make soup than toss past-their-prime ingredients.

You’ll notice this is basically built on the foundation of my Easy Everyday Vegetable Soup. I did swing by the store to pick up a rotisserie turkey breast; obviously leftover chicken would do just fine. I diluted the broth with equal parts stock and water because I wanted a lighter, clearer broth with less sodium, since I’m using store-bought chicken stock and turkey breast. The fennel is a fabulous fall addition, especially because it’s so readily available right now. Plus there’s that signature licorice flavor that’s a nice surprise in an otherwise hearty soup. I used barley instead of noodles because I love the texture, and because it reminds me of the canned beef and barley soup we used to eat as kids. And it’s an easy add: I prepared a pound of barley ahead of time, used half in this soup, and froze the rest for whatever comes next. Which in my case will most likely be soup.

Easy Everyday Chicken & Barley Soup

This soup couldn’t be easier to pull together, especially with the help of prepared chicken or turkey and pre-chopped veggies. If you’ve got some frozen barley in the freezer, all the better. If you work fast and don’t dawdle, you can have this on the table in under an hour.

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
4 medium red potatoes skin-on and sliced
3 carrots, diced
4 celery sticks, diced
1 fennel bulbs, chopped
2 cups prepared barley
1 turkey breast, shredded (or 1 roasted chicken, shredded)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

  1. Add the butter to a large Dutch oven or soup pot, warm over medium heat.
  2. Add the onion and garlic, sauté until tender, about five minutes.
  3. Add the stock and water; cover, increase heat to high and bring just to a boil.
  4. Add the potatoes and simmer over medium-high heat until just about tender, about 15 minutes.
  5. Add the carrots, celery and fennel and simmer over medium heat until the carrots are tender, about 5-7 minutes.
  6. Add the turkey, barley and thyme, simmer a few minutes more, and season to taste.
  7. Serve immediately with crusty bread.

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{recipe} Easy Everyday Vegetable SoupOctober 24th, 2011


The great thing about soup is it’s nearly impossible to mess up. This soup reflects the vegetables in my crisper bin; use what you’ve got on hand as a way to avoid tossing produce into the trash. But whether you pick my favorite veggies or your own, the essentials are the same.

Start by sautéing an onion in butter or oil, pour in stock, simmer, add a cooked grain, toss in a few vegetables, simmer a bit more until tender. Done.

See? Easy.

Easy Everyday Vegetable Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
4 cups water
5 carrots, diced
5 celery sticks, diced
2 fennel bulbs, chopped
2 cups cooked barley
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

  1. Add the olive oil to a large Dutch oven or soup pot, warm over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the onion and garlic, sauté until tender, about five minutes.
  3. Add the stock and water and bring just to a boil.
  4. Add the chopped vegetables and simmer over medium heat until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
  5. Add the barley and thyme, simmer a few minutes more, and season to taste.
  6. Serve immediately with crusty bread.

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