Eat the Best Food Ever

Roast half moon slices of delicata.

Serve with a drizzle of hot chili oil, maple shrup, roasted and salted pepitas, and labneh.

1 to 1.5 pounds of skirt or “asada” flat steak, 1/2 medium yellow or sweet onion, 1/2 green bell pepper, 1 yellow chili or guero chili, 3 medium cloves of garlic, 1 can stewed tomatoes, 1 potato. Steam the potato, cut into bite size pieces and set aside. Cut the steak into bite size chunks. Chop the garlic. Cut the onion, pepper and chili into bite size pieces (remove seeds). Brown the meat with the garlic in a big skillet over med/high heat with a splash of olive oil. Add veggies in a few minutes once meat is browned a bit. Add can of tomatoes with juice. Cook on med/high for 10-15 minutes until veggies start to soften. Lower flame to simmer and add potatoes. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 15-20 minutes. Serve. Yum!

This recipe is inspired by Lucky Peach’s Chineasy Cucumber Salad

Serves 1

for the dressing:

whisk together

1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar
1 teaspoon Sichuan chili oil or other hot pepper source to taste
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

layer

3/4 English cucumber, peeled and sliced

2 scallions, shredded lengthwise

4 radishes, quartered

1/2 avocado, sliced

1 can albacore tuna, chilled, drained, chunked

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1 Tb chopped peanuts

layer the salad ingredients in order listed

pour  dressing over salad

ingredients highly interchangeable/variable

1  yellow onion, chopped

6 stalks celery, sliced

optional

1 small head fennel, chopped

1-2 shallots. chopped

1 apple, chopped

nuts

dried cranberries

2 sticks unsalted butter

1-2 packages of stuffing mix or stale bread cubes (sourdough imparts a distinct flavor, use with caution)

3-4 cups any poultry stock (unsalted is best)

1 bunch fresh parsley, stems removed, chopped

1 bunch fresh sage, chopped fine

salt

pepper

optional

truffle salt

Saute/sweat onion and celery until soft in 1 stick of butter over medium-low heat. If using shallots or fennel, sweat them too. Melt second cup of butter, keep handy.

Using the biggest bowl you have, combine bread cubes, sautéed vegetables, any other optional ingredients, and a cup or two of the stock. Add about half of the parsley and sage, some salt and pepper, and mix everything thoroughly. Start tasting the mix and adjusting seasonings/fat/herbs/stock until it tastes good. The stuffing should be in the moist-to-damp range, definitely not soggy. If it’s going inside the turkey, make it a little drier as the bird adds moisture, if its going in a (greased) casserole, a little wetter, as baking will dry it out.

If baking, roughly 30 minutes at 375F, covered in foil until the last ten minutes or so. Stuffing tends to stick less in ceramic or glass. Be sure to grease or spray whatever pan you use.

A canning recipe of my own making. A batch yields about 8 half-pints.

2# apricots, pitted and roughly chopped

2# red plums, pitted and roughly chopped

4 1/2 c sugar

1.3 oz dry pectin

1/3 c kirsch or other cherry brandy (optional)

combine all ingredients, cook until jam is set, using the frozen plate method. With this small amount of pectin, it takes at least 30 minutes to get the jam to set. Pack into half-pint jars, leaving 1/4″ headspace, seal and process 10 minutes in boiling water bath.

Courtesy of the very talented Robin Leventhal
½ cup + 2Tbls butter, melted
4 large eggs
½ cup olive oil
1/8th cup orange juice
¼ cup pomegranate molasses
1 ¼ cup sugar
3 each Bosc pears
1 cup AP flour
1 ½ cup almond flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt, kosher
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp zest of orange
1 tsp zest of lemon
½ tsp almond extract

Procedure:
Preheat oven to 350F.

Prepare a 10-12” skillet at least 3” deep with butter, dust with flour and line bottom with a round of parchment paper to release the caramelized pear bottom when done baking.
Peel & core pears
In another skillet add 2 Tbls butter, ¼ cup sugar, pomegranate molasses & orange juice, bring to a boil.
Cook pears in this syrup on medium heat, approximately 3 minutes on each side.
Place the pears cut side down evenly spaced on the parchment lined skillet and pour the molasses caramel over them allowing a bit to go under each pear to ensure they each look caramelized when flipped.
Set this skillet in the fridge to set up (or outside if you have cold winters like we do here in Walla Walla)
In a small mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients (flour, soda, baking powder, salt and cardamom)
In a large mixing bowl cream the eggs, remaining sugar and zest until light and fluffy with a hand mixer, about 4 minutes.Add the almond extract and then the dry ingredients in two additions, mix well, then stream in the olive oil and melted butter until silky and incorporated.
Pour cake batter over chilled pears and bake for approximately 45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden.
Let set up for a few minutes before flipping, but don’t wait too long. I let mine stand about 10 minutes
Your serving platter should be just wider than the pan’s rim.
Placing the platter, presentation side down and with one palm on the back of the platter and oven mitt hand on the bottom of the skillet, quickly flip them over, sandwiched between your hands.
This only requires a little dexterity and a lot of “yes I can” spirit! You got this!
Now got get yourself a few pears and win the hearts of your guest with this irresistible moist cake that indecently makes wonderful leftovers for breakfast!

Serving Suggestions: dust with a little powder sugar, top with a dollop of whipped cream (I put a tiny amount of vanilla extract, pinch of cardamom and powder sugar in mine)
Complete the plate with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses, rose syrup or simply honey.
Edible flower and pomegranate seeds or zest of an orange would all be lovely additions.
Enjoy, from my heart to yours

Technorati Tags: dessert

I got this recipe from one of my trivia players. So tasty.

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

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cream together

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2 eggs

1 t vanilla

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mix in

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1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

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mix together, then add in

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1 c dried cranberries

1 c chopped nuts

1/4 c chia seed

1 c white chocolate chips

2 c rolled oats

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350F, 10 minutes