Inspired by India

What next?  In so many quiet moments throughout the day, it is quickly where my mind goes.  On January 27th,  I returned from eleven days in India.  The first eight of them were spent visiting the ministry sites of an organization called Share in Asia.  It began 18 years ago as the American arm of a 70 year old ministry based in Southern India.  They plant churches, build and run orphanages and schools in the poorest areas as well as widows homes and lepers homes .  They participate in mercy outreach of every kind.  Each day of those eight I saw desperate need and overwhelming joy, often in the same moments. Children laughing with joy as they ate what may be their only good meal that day, provided by the school.  Girls orphaned by the Indian ocean tsunami of 2004, beaming with smiles as they danced and sang, secure in the provision of their orphanage.  It is the children that hit us the hardest.  They are the most vulnerable.  We can't judge them, which would create distance from their plight.  They are the clearest victims, yet with the purest thankfulness.  And it was at the orphanages and schools of Share in Asia that I saw the most hope.

My husband Zack has traveled to Haiti on a mission in the past and offered me some knowing advice before I left; ”Remember, God hasn't blessed you to feel guilty."  Those words floated in my mind as I faced so much need.  So why has God blessed me?  Why do I have everything I need and more?  I am blessed to be a blessing.  We all are.  I've known this for a very long time - it is how my parents lived.  I have haltingly and very imperfectly operated from this perspective for most of my adult life.  But India brought a whole new application of that truth.  In India, my eyes saw poverty and need on a whole new level, coupled with the power of help and hope to change lives, and the impact of relatively small contributions of time and money. I'll never be able to unsee these things.  I'll never get the little girl out of my mind.  We pull off the bumpy, crowded road to buy a snack of fresh coconut and we meet her. She is 2, maybe 3.  She lives in a tent made of a tarp with her brothers and sisters. I don't know where her parents are.  She has no clothes.  We buy them all giant wedges of watermelon for pennies.  She stares over the top of hers, its wider than her precious head.  Eyes fixed on mine while she eats.  Here she is with the other children.

Every child is precious.  Made in the image of God with dignity, value and worth.  If I have blessing, is it not for her?  Is it not for whomever God puts before me?  For my husband, for my friends, for family, for the hurting and needy in my own community and now, for Indian children in orphanages and schools half way around the world.  I cannot begin to help them all, that much is obvious.  But I can take a step, make a change, choose to bless.

So, a few days ago, I had an idea.  A little way to help, for now.  Valentine's Day is coming up.  Ostensibly, this day is about love.  Share the Love began running through my mind.  A pop-up shop selling Valentine's treats maybe? A Valentine's gift shop?  NO!  Valentine's Day gift boxes!  Each box would contain lovely things to give someone you love on Valentine's Day, AND the love would be shared!  Every donation would go to blessing the orphans I met and fell in love with in India.  Their orphanage is in a flood prone area and was recently damaged. Their bathrooms are incredibly spare and simple.  There are so many needs.  I can't adopt those children and bring them home with me, but can I adopt their orphanage? Can I inspire others to join me in this?  I don't know where this is all leading or if its just one holiday and one effort, but I'll start right here.  I can take this step.

So, this Valentine's Day, love your Valentine well AND share the love with an orphanage in need. Every penny of your donation for this Valentine's Day gift will go to the Share in Asia Tsunami Orphanage in Southern India. 

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UPDATE!  This fundraiser earned more than $1800.00 for the Share In Asia Tsunami Orphanage!  Thank you to everyone who cared and gave!

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SHARE THE LOVE FUNDRAISER

Your fully tax-deductible suggested donation of $60 includes this gift.  (additional $20 suggested for delivery)

A Valentine's Day gift box filled with lovely things...

• Fresh cut tulips wrapped in festive tissue
• Homemade treats from me and my friends: Chocolate truffle cookies, Peanut butter chocolate bon-bons, Indian chai-spiced shortbread hearts
• Choice of:  Sozo wine, French Sparkling Apple Cider or Gourmet Coffee Beans
• A picture of the children and note of thanks for Sharing the Love
• Set in a box with lovely packaging
• A custom note from you

NOTE:  The deadline for box ordering is passed, but if you'd still like to donate any amount, that would be so amazing.  Go to www.shareinasia.org 

I'll be sure to keep you all posted on how this goes!  

Anniversary in Portlandia

Zack and I recently celebrated our eighth anniversary with an overnight jaunt to Portland.  I always have a long list of places I want to check out there, recommended by friends, articles I've read and the like.  We are never disappointed by the wealth of culinary treasures there and this time was no different.  In fact, it was one of the best.  Here's the rundown.

IMPERIAL

Paley's Place is a Portland institution in fine dining and the Imperial is a recently opened more casual experience by Vitaly Paley, an incredibly well respected chef.  The vibe is loungy.  Pretty dark and moody even at lunch time and definitely hipster, in that upscale sort of way.  I thought it would be a nice lunch, but was completely surprised by how incredibly good each bite was and how much care was put into everything, and an outstanding value to boot.  For instance, the house made Parker house roll, arrives hot and glistening, deep golden brown and salted top with soft butter to slather.  We thought we'd share one but immediately ordered another.  This was our first meal of the trip so we wanted to go easy, opting to share a pilaf stuffed roasted poblano pepper with roasted butternut squash, chestnuts and a walnut cream. ($12)  WHAT?  Ridiculously flavorful.  The vegetables all treated with utmost care to bring out their fullest flavor.  Then, a side of wood fire roasted carrots in a mustard maple vinaigrette. ($6)  These carrots were so good I promptly stated I'd rather be eating them than duck fat french fries.  The cocktails were also excellent, mine a blend of aperol, grapefruit, gin and rose prosecco.  His,  a hearty bourbon cocktail with hickory vermouth.  At $8 each, at least 25% less than the same cocktails cost in Seattle.  The experience was absolutely wonderful and got the trip started off on the VERY right foot.

TORO BRAVO

After an afternoon of nothing much, a little shopping, a little relaxing, it was time to go to Snacky Hour.  Toro Bravo is one of Portlands best loved restaurants, a Spanish tapas spot that is perennially packed.  They don't take reservations and we are not fans of waiting, so when that is the case, we always show up when the place is about to open.  Good thing too!  We were first in line and the place was full in 20 minutes.  Here we shared a few pinxtos - or snacks of just a bite or two each, and a few tapas, snacks of 6-10 bites.  Melted leeks topped with romescu sauce were delicious, as was a sweetly spiced ground lamb with yogurt and flatbread.  Everything was inexpensive - $3 - $9 and delicious.  Cava was the perfect accompaniment.  The menu is so extensive and I look forward to going back again to try more.  

THE WOODSMAN TAVERN

Our "real" dinner reservation was at 7pm so we headed next.  Folks, what a dear dear meal this was to us.  The ambiance of the space is dimly lit, wood paneled and definitely fits the expectation its name creates,   From the first moment they were so welcoming, with absolutely no hint of hipster nonchalance.  They wished us happy anniversary and gave us half pours of champagne for a toast, starting things off beautifully.  The menu is a nod to American classics.  We started with a couple snacks - a single chicken wing, an order of deviled eggs and a beef sausage with mustard.  Each thing was so deeply flavorful we were in a constant state of exclamation.  There was such great and overwhelming care taken with every element.  All sausages and meats (with the exception of a few curated American hams) are butchered and cured and smoked and in all ways made from scratch in house.  With yes, a Portlandia level of care.  We shared shepherds pie for the main course.  How could it be so good?  So many layers of flavor, such deep smokiness to the filling and perfectly cooked vegetables at the same time.  I was deeply challenged as a cook by their care in the details.  I've already seen it influence me, which I think is awesome.

THE NEXT DAY, ON MY MORNING RUN

Our actual anniversary dawned beautifully sunny, just like it was 8 years ago.  I love a morning run on vacation so I was off by 7am leaving Zack to a rare chance to sleep-in.  I started out from our hotel in the Pearl District and headed for coffee.  Sterling Coffee Roasters had been recently recommended.  It's on 21st just a block or so from Ken's Artisan Bakery, so I stopped in their for one of their famous cannelle and jogged it over to Sterling for a cappuccino.  The recommendation was right on.  A beautifully roasted cup of coffee.  Not at all bitter or burnt, but flavorful and nuanced.  I had 2 bites of the cannelle, which was good for sure, but not mind-blowing for me.  The rest fed the birds.  Back on my feet and through the Pearl and over the Hawthorne Bridge, down Ladd and up Division to Little T American Baker.  

This bakery has been winning raves and the baguette is particularly well spoken of.  As it happens, when it comes to bakeries, I'll take a baguette with butter and jam over just about anything else anyway, so I ordered their skinny short version and my second cup of the day and sat down to enjoy.  It was excellent.  Lovely crust and moist crumb.  I was pleased.  I ate some of that and started to wonder where was next.  I looked for bakeries nearby and found one called Le Cookie Monkey a couple miles away.  The reviews were raving and I liked the look of the direction so I headed that way.  Down 26th and Right on Powell and then some random twists and turns and a very odd rickety foot bridge over some railroad tracks and after a time I was at Le Cookie Monkey.  Darn it!  Its only open for special orders, so I wend my way home through some funky streets and along the river, over the bridge and back at the hotel at mile 8.9.  Time to get ready for brunch!

THE COUNTRY CAT

I love Southern diner style food done really really well and that is just what the Country Cat is all about.  It serves brunch every day of the week, which I think is genius.  It's a drive out of the typical tourist area, in the Montavilla area of PDX.  We sat down and ordered a tasty (though much booze!) Bloody Mary and deliberated for a long while on the menu, or rather, I did.   Zack knew immediately that he wanted the Monte Cristo sandwich.  We both have a soft spot for those.  But the 2nd dish was harder.  The BBQ brisket sandwich?  The chicken fried steak?  I settled on the fried chicken with maple bacon spoon bread and greens dressed with maple vinaigrette.  It was good but not great.  The fried chicken didn't have the double crust i prefer and the spoon bread honestly had a strange soggy texture on top.  I'd still go back time and again for that Monte Cristo sandwich - house-smoked ham and turkey, amazing custardy bread and a dousing of maple syrup.  The home fries were shatteringly crisp and served with house made ketchup.  Too legit to quit people.  

We've been to Portland a dozen times in our married life, but this was definitely our favorite trip.  A totally memorable culinary adventure, to say nothing of the very sweet time we had together reflecting on the past year and feeling incredible blessed with where we are at as a couple.  Year 9 includes many things, foremost among them our adoption process, which we actually began in earnest that evening, at our chosen agencies mandatory information meeting.  We're on our way and feel peace and excitement about that.  We are praying that by the next anniversary, there will be a baby Zulie Hubert to love.

A couple other absolute Portland favorites:  Screen Door, DOC, Heart coffee, Baker and Spice Bakery.

Fennel, Apple, Dill & Cheddar Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette

This past week, I attended "Foodie" book club, which was recently begun by my friend Daytona.  The idea is, we read a book that has ties to culinary life in some way, and get together with like minded people to eat dinner and discuss.  At group, we talked about the months book a bit, but mostly we settled in like familiar friends (though most of us had never met) to topics of all things life; backgrounds, relationships, foods, recipes, meals, etc etc.  It was a total delight.

Daytona had asked us to bring foods that represented something about us and where we've come from.  I puzzled about that for awhile.  My culinary "heritage" is a place I find myself very far from these days.  A box of fish sticks and a bag of French fries didn't seem an inspired choice.  Not that I didn't eat well growing up...sometimes.  My Mother had many solid dishes and really introduced me to the kitchen in a loving way that I still treasure, but with five kids and a very tight budget, things were simple.  She made spaghetti, stir fry, swiss steak, homemade pizzas and stroganoff sandwich, to name a few favorites.  But my ideal foods came from a box.  A dream day of eating for me would have been a bowl of Lucky Charms for breakfast, followed by a bowl of Trix for elevenzies, a mayo soaked tuna fish sandwich studded with potato chips for lunch, finished off with a Twinkie.  For dinner, Gino's frozen pizza, followed by Tollhouse cookies (first the dough and then warm from the oven) and ice cream.  I had an appetite for the junkiest of things.  So, as a result, by the age of 19, I was nearly 200 pounds and very unhappy.  One day, enough was enough and I vowed to change.  There is a great deal to the story, spanning many years, but lets just say I did.

As I thought about foods that represent me now, I kept coming back to salad.  The thing is, I bake and cook constantly, but when it comes to every day eating in our home and life, salad looms large.  I have learned to crave and value vegetables and love the creativity of "making up salads" - always heavily influenced by what I'm seeing around me.  I don't look like that girl of 19 anymore.  I temper my love of decadence with a stewardship of my body that I didn't understand back then.  I run often, drink tons of water, eat healthy and thoughtfully 80% of the time, and 20% of the time, I don't fret about it.  I'll never be a stick (and I am finally at peace with that), but I'll never be that 19 year old girl again either.  Here's the salad I brought to book club.  It was delicious.

FENNEL, APPLE, DILL AND CHEDDAR SALAD WITH WALNUT VINAIGRETTE
Serves 4

1 large head fennel, sliced in half, cored and sliced VERY thin, preferably on a mandoline
1 granny smith apple, julienned
1/4 of a red onion, sliced VERY thinly
3 oz Beecher's flagship cheddar, or other great aged cheddar or gruyere, grated
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley (optional)
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
Maldon sea salt (optional)

Toss these ingredients together in a medium bowl, with dressing enough to moisten all but be careful not to overdress.  It's nice to toss this salad 15 minutes or so before you eat it.  Finish with some nice flake salt like Maldon.

WALNUT VINAIGRETTE
This recipe is adapted my dear friend Ashley - she taught it in a recent class and I love it.  Note that this recipe makes about 1.5 cups vinaigrette, which would be enough for quite a few salads.  Store in the fridge.

1 cup orange juice

1 small shallot

1/3 cup sherry vinegar

1/3 cup toasted walnuts

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1-2 teaspoons honey

1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt (start with less)

1/2 cup olive oil

Heat the orange juice to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce to 1/2 cup, then remove from heat and cool.  Toast the walnuts and cool.  Peel and roughly chop the shallot.

Put the reduced orange juice, shallot, sherry vinegar, 1/3 cup of the walnuts, and Dijon mustard in the blender. Season with salt and pepper. Blend at high speed until homogenous.

With the blender running, add the oil slowly. Do not let the blender run too long, as the vinaigrette will break if it gets too warm.

Taste the vinaigrette to adjust the seasoning. Add more salt or pepper if needed. If the vinaigrette is too acidic, add more oil with the blender running. If the vinaigrette gets too thick, thin with a bit of water. 

Morning Glory Buckwheat Pancakes with Blueberries

This very well could be the recipe I make most in my kitchen.  I will admit that it feels extra personal and I even feel a little shy about sharing it.  Almost like lending out your favorite pair of boots.  You love them because they fit you just right.  You've worn them in over time.  These pancakes are a part of regular life in the Burke home.  I mean, the kids eat them about every other day and have for the entirety of their lives.  The recipe has evolved with my continuing education about how nutrition effects us (we need protein in the morning), what we like (we like maple syrup and things off the skillet) and what we will actually eat.  You may need to break this recipe in a little, like I have.  But, I promise you it is very forgiving, flexible, incredibly healthy and delicious!  These are not the kind of pancakes that you tire of after a few bites and are then hungry for a more substantial meal 30 minutes later.

Do not be intimidated by the long list of ingredients.    If you are just trying out the recipe, go to the bulk section of the grocery store and only get what you need to save money.  When you decide you do want to add this recipe to your routine, that is when you stock up.  I find everything I need at Central Market in Shoreline (including Skagit Valley blueberries) and Trader Joes.

One more thing, it's blueberry season!  This is my favorite time of year and my favorite seasonal crop of the year that I just wait and wait for.  I grew up literally surrounded by blueberry bushes on a berry farm.  Blueberries take me back to the days when my wardrobe consisted of a rarely dry swimsuit and my mind was mostly concerned with finding the biggest blueberry and eating it still warm from the sun while running through irrigation sprinklers with my sisters.  I still prefer to eat dirty blueberries by the handful but tossing a few into these pancakes is good too.

Morning Glory Buckwheat Pancakes with Blueberries

3/4 cups cottage cheese
2 large eggs
1 cup milk of your choice. I use coconut milk.
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons roasted whole flax seeds
2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)

1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup flour of your choice. I use whole wheat spelt.
2 tablespoons almond meal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

butter
pure maple syrup
fresh blueberries (optional) or jam in the off season)

Mix together the first 12 ingredients listed.  Preheat your skillet on medium high heat.  I prefer to use cast iron.  In a separate bowl mix together the next five ingredients. Combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix only until combined.  Butter your skillet and with your 1/4 cup measuring scoop measure out your pancakes.  Once on the skillet you can place the blueberries in the pancake.  Wait for bubbles to appear and then flip and wait about 2 more minutes but depending on how hot your skillet is you may need to wait longer.  Generously butter the pancakes and serve with maple syrup and more fresh blueberries on top.

This recipe makes about 12 pancakes using the 1/4 cup scoop.

Note: When I write out my recipes I'm not going to say "all organic non-GMO" before each ingredient but that is what I think should be used when possible. In this recipe I changed the vegetable oil to melted butter because I keep learning. My naturopath says this: vegetable oil (aka soybean oil) is about as bad as it gets. Use grapeseed oil, coconut oil, butter, safflower or sunflower oil (all organic non-GMO). Canola is a no go...olive oil goes rancid too easily when cooked. Olive oil is great for making salad dressings!

A Salad for Sophia Rose

It has been a joyful week.  I traveled to Phoenix with my Mom to meet my first blood niece, Sophia Rose.  I'm honestly not someone that connects naturally with babies.  Their lack of ability to carry on meaningful conversation and total disinterest in whats whats for dinner (beyond milk, milk and more milk!) seems to create a barrier to intimacy that I'm still figuring out.  :)  But Sophia, she is somehow mine, having claim to her in whatever special way an auntie does.  That connection deepened by the significance that she came forth from my oldest brother Peter and his wife Suzan, whom I dearly love.

From childhood and on through my twenties, my brother and I had first a conflict-filled and then a remote and distant relationship.  Perhaps because we have incredibly different personalities, but I'm sure compounded by the reality that we haven't lived in the same state for the last twelve years.   But over the past two years we have had some great times, talks and adventures that have chipped away at years of neglect.  Spending this time with him as a new father felt like a milestone in that progression.  He is so tender and generous, involved in every aspect of my nieces young life without intimidation.  I know she'll have the very best he can possibly give her.  He'll have spent hours and hours researching exactly what that is!  If I'm ever blessed with a child, I will certainly have him on speed dial as to the safest car seat, the strongest diaper, and so on.  I'm sure he'll have recipes for baby food to share (he also loves to cook), and he's already taught me an amazing way to sooth, involving a swaddle, side jiggle, shushing sound that worked like baby whisperer magic.  I feel closer to and more proud of him than I ever have and I look forward to not only getting to know my new niece, but building on that relationship with my brother.  I want to understand how to love him better than I ever thought I could, and our conversations on this trip will help me to do that.  The older I get, the more I find joy in knowing my brothers as adults and seeing the seasons of their life and how they mature through them.  What an enormous blessing!

In between talks, baby jiggling and watching family home movies, my Mom and I did a lot of cooking for the new parents.  We wanted to fill them with health and home-cooked love while we were there.  I've been wanting to make a grown up version of the "Chinese Chicken Salad" that we grew up eating often.  It was such a childhood favorite that I made it the focus of my very first cooking demonstration, a 4H state fair show in 4th grade!  So, one evening of our visit, I assembled this salad and we carried it down to the pool cabana at their home,  enjoying the cool relief of the evening hours on a day that hit a 104 degree high!  Though far from its original recipe, the nostalgic flavors are there.  This salad is a truly delicious meal that will leave you feeling satisfied, but clean and healthy too. 

ASIAN CHICKEN SALAD WITH SESAME GINGER VINAIGRETTE
Serves 4 as a main course


I highly recommend you serve this salad with this Coconut Cilantro Rice.  Honestly, they go perfectly together!


6 cups baby spinach or 1 large head butter lettuce, chopped
1 head napa cabbage, chopped
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced thinly or julienned
4-5 scallions, chopped
3 cups snow peas, chopped
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 2 large breasts, seasoned, grilled and chopped
1 mango, sliced thinly
2 ripe avocados, thinly sliced
1 cup chow mein noodles or strips of fried wonton wrapper (I skipped this to keep it clean)

For dressing

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
2 inch section peeled fresh ginger, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2-3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

In a blender, process together dressing ingredients through olive oil until smooth.  Pour into a bowl and stir in toasted sesame seeds.

Toss salad ingredients together through cilantro.  Top salad with sliced mango, avocado, chicken (forgive the picture, I added the chicken after) and toasted almonds in a decorative fashion and drizzle top with all the dressing.

The Joyful Kitchens!

More than three years ago, I began a blog called The Golden Piglet.  It was me and my culinary world - cooking, entertaining, travel and all things delicious.  After a year or so, I found that I enjoyed channeling my culinary energies into the activities themselves, more than I did writing about them.  And life got busy...I'll leave it at that.  But here I am now, settled in a wonderful new home, completely inspired and excited to begin a new chapter.

So, I give you, The Joyful Kitchens.  It is a blog, it is a business, it is I and two of my dearest friends. Guest posters will be welcome as well!  There will be recipes and posts of all kinds, there will be edible travel far and wide, there will be cooking classes (public and private) and catering.  And who knows what all else!  I'm thrilled about all of it.  Collaborating on this blog is essential. Everything that is The Joyful Kitchens is about collaboration and the interaction of humanity and the kitchen.  Which to me, is one of the greatest sources of joy on this planet.  Our mission is to serve you, making the kitchens, homes and people we touch, more joyful.

How about these other ladies?  Well, they are two of the most creative and intuitive cooks I know, Rachel Burke and Ashley Rodriguez.  I'll let them tell you about themselves here.  For all my organization and planning they bring a mountain of inspiration and natural ability.  They have incredible palettes, who make me angry with their ability to know just what to add to make something perfect.  Together we are a rare team and we learn so much from each other.  Each of us is confident in many aspects of our kitchens, but has specific areas in which we excel, so you'll see that in the different cooking classes and approaches.   Every class or event involves at least two of us though, so you benefit from our collaboration.  The posts will come primarily from Rachel and I, as Ashley is very busy with her incredible blog Not Without Salt and many other writing and photography projects.  She'll be popping in now and then though, and we look forward to it!

New York, New York!

January held a lot of culinary high points. When I wrote my last post, I was on my way to NYC to sit in the audience at the Martha Stewart "Blogging" themed show with my friend Ashley. The 48 hours we enjoyed in that taste-bud playground were unforgettable. The words aren't flowing today so let me just hit the highlights.


Frankie's Spuntino in Brooklyn - candlelit, red-brick, pressed tin, modern Italian-American comfort food. The best dessert of the trip were their prunes cooked in spiced red wine, served with marscapone. The deep, syrupy sweetness of the prunes was amazing against the tartness cream of the marscapone. One of those desserts where you take a bite and you can't believe that what you are looking at tastes even half as amazing as what your taste-buds are telling you.

Eleven Madison Park for an early Ashley birthday lunch - 50 foot ceilings, the ultimate in elegance and service, beautiful plating and food. A really special experience.

Peasant - a restaurant that made me gasp with delight. The ambiance is like none other. Utterly lit by candles and open hearths along the whole back wall of the restaurant - it feels like a renaissance castle kitchen.

Buttermilk Channel - the best meat loaf of my life, made of duck and topped with an onion ring dipped in thick cornbread batter and fried.

A long stroll from Brooklyn, across the epic Brooklyn Bridge, up through lower Manhattan to meet Ashley for grilled corn at Cafe Habana, followed by frites and pavlova at the most Parisian bistro that's not in Paris - Balthazar. Oh yes, and a lovely time at Martha. We appear for .3 seconds at the 51 second mark of the show. In my split-second of screen time, I am pretending to blog while smiling widely at the camera. A now infamous pose that has been the source of much good-natured mockery.

On January 30th, I hosted my first Not Without Salt cooking class, taught by my friend and NYC travel buddy, Ashley Rodriguez. I felt perfectly happy in those three hours, chatting with friends old and new, enjoying delicious treats, making people feel welcome and truly learning! I mean, I learned how to make puff pastry! Something I never would have thought to make for myself, but now I really feel I can. I'll be hosting 1-2 classes a month as long as Ashley wants to teach them. She is a natural born baker and has so much to share, so I think there will be many, many more. If you'd like to join one, email classes@notwithoutsalt.com to get on the list. We're also cooking up some special events and dinners!

I've done a lot of bread baking this month, but last night, Zack and I whipped up a wonderful cake, for The City weekly treats tradition. I had Granny Smith apples leftover from the cooking class, so I made this apple cake from the blog Smitten Kitchen. The critique from the offices today was good - a smashing success, Zack said, definitely worthy of including here. It's an incredibly moist, lush cake. Great for breakfast OR dessert. I followed the recipe almost exactly, with the exception of the type of apple used and a drizzle of maple cream cheese icing to top it off. Gratuitous I'm sure, but I didn't hear any complaints.


February is a special month in my family - lots of celebrations. Three birthdays on my side and four on Zack's, as well as Zack and I's anniversary. This year, we celebrate FIVE big ones. I was poking around to find a good place to go that would allow us to use miles to purchase the tickets and Montreal leapt to the front of the line. The Paris of North America they say, and only about five hours away. Should be a wonderful adventure and I'm counting down the days. Literally - I have a large white dry erase board and each day I cross out one big box. There are fifteen more boxes. I'm so excited for four days of total, undisturbed time with Zack - there is nothing better (except more than four days). Got any Montreal tips? I'd love to hear them!

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Thanksgiving, that blessed event, is in just three days. I'm so looking forward to it and wanted to share that with you, as well as some practical help that might be of use. I know you're very busy this week, and may just want the practical part. If so, skip to the last paragraph. If not, and you have time for a little nostalgia, here you have it.

1) My birthday is November 26th, so each Thanksgiving is somewhere within a week of it. The holiday is not only a celebration of national, familial and faith-filled significance, it has special meaning as I personally reflect not only on what I am thankful for in life, but what the past year of my life has brought and what I look forward to in the coming one.

2) Thanksgiving REALLY IS about giving thanks! No matter what trials we may be going through, there are also immense blessings on so many levels - family, faith, freedom, provision and so on! This day is a time to look squarely at those blessings and not let them be obscured in the periphery. At the dinner table, after we are full from a wonderful meal (see #3!) we all go around and say what we are thankful for. I tell you what - it is the most beautiful part of the whole meal and probably any meal, all year long. We always thank God for this country and for the men and women who serve it, for the wonderful freedoms we often take for granted. We thank Him for freedom to worship and serve our Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave his life for ours 2009 years ago. We thank Him for family, health, provision and many individual joys and victories we each may have experienced in the past year. Last year, my Father also read the original Thanksgiving proclamation by Abraham Lincoln. Our eyes flooded with tears as we listened to these incredible words. I cherish this time of sharing so deeply.

3) The meal. Along with most of America, I love the foods of Thanksgiving; the nostalgia, the variety of options, the whole taste bud sensation! But as a person who loves to cook, host, and serve, Thanksgiving offers more satisfaction than any other meal. It's beloved family and the sky's the limit! I also delight in the process of planning the sumptuous event. I'm sure I've said this before, but I am a planner. If I was an artist, planning would be my medium. So basically, Thanksgiving gives me a chance to do most of which I most enjoy, for my wonderful family.

My first Thanksgiving in the driver's seat was the year I turned 21. That year my birthday landed on the actual day (as it does this year) and I determined that as a fully legit adult it was time to take charge. It was a shaky start let me tell you. I'm not lying when I tell you that I found myself in the fetal position on my Mother's floor at one point, crying hysterically because she had dropped my painstakingly created raspberry puree, rendering it useless. OH THE TRAGEDY!

It's been eleven years now and I've learned so much. My Mother has been a wonderful, patient teacher and along the way I know I've shown her a few new tricks as well. I've also opened my families mind to all the possibilities this meal can have, especially when you take the basics and give them a twist.

This year has been a special joy as a couple of my dear friends are cooking Thanksgiving dinners for the first time. The emails of ideas, advice and menus have been flying and I'm so excited for them. I've shared with them my planning document and they thought it was helpful, so I'll share it with you. I think its important to work within your own experience, know your space limitations (oven space, serving and cooking dishes), and determine how much help you have. Then, make a plan and refer back to it as you go along. I keep mine prominent in the kitchen. By biggest caution is not to try to do too much! As I told my friend, better to do 5 things really well, which come out hot and on time, than 8 things and some of them suffer.

Happy Thanksgiving week to you all! If you have questions or thoughts or advice desired, please post them here! I'll try to help.

Mexican Cooking Class, in Mexico

I just returned from vacation with dear girl friends. I rarely return to the same vacation destination - there are just so many amazing places to see on God's green earth. But occasionally, a place just needs to be revisited, and for me, one of those places is Zihuatanejo, Mexico. I have been many places in Mexico, but this little fishing town is different.

Set on a beautiful bay, with sloping tropical hills rising straight up from azure waters, there are stunning views at every turn. Even simple hotels like this one, offer bay views from every room. The little town is quaint and feels lived in by locals, not just tourists. Strangely, this is actually very different from many other popular Mexican destinations, which often feel like nothing but shop after shop full of tacky souvenirs. The streets and the central market are filled with locals, shopping for the food and wares that will sustain them through the day. It is a real part of their everyday life and it is where our Mexican cooking class started, with chef Freddie as a willing tour guide.


We wandered through the fish stalls selecting from that days catch. Mahi mahi, giant prawns and red snapper made the cut. Then, off to the vegetable stalls for avocados, fresh peppers, tomatoes, herbs and more. From one of the many little food stands, I had the best tortilla of my life. It was wrapped around an unknown but delicious braised meat. The tortilla was ridiculous - so tender and soft. That tortilla was as soft as a babies bottom, that's what it was.

Back at The Tides hotel, the cooking class was set up on the beach. A cauldron grill for cooking, mocahetes for salsa and guacamole and a lovely table set on the beach where we'd sit down to our meal once we finished cooking.


The menu started with fire-roasted salsa, guacamole, pico de gallo, all incredibly fresh and flavorful. Then as we munched away at these dipping delights Freddie filleted the red snapper, we peeled the prawns and sliced mahi mahi for Tiritas. The latter is a signature local dish; thinly sliced FRESH white fish, lime juice, cilantro and red onion and the wonderful local sea salt (of which I got an 2 lb bag for 50 cents at the market!). The citrus juices cook the fish quickly. Freddie sauteed the prawns with heaps of garlic, olive oil and thinly sliced dried guahillo pepper and finally made an incredible adobo sauce to slather on the grilled red snapper.


The resulting meal was so vibrant and delicious. How could something NOT taste amazing when composed with our very own hands of perfectly fresh ingredients, not to mention the sand between our toes, the waves lapping 10 yards away and cold local beers in our hands. What a way to experience a cuisine. What a good day.

A wonderful weekend and Butternut Squash Curry

This weekend, Zack and I went away. His work has been intense for months and promises to be more so in the coming weeks. I decided an overnight outside of our normal habitat was needed. My friend and neighbor, Dana, writes often on her blog about Lopez Island. Over the past six months I have grown more and more convinced I needed to experience it for myself. As you might expect, it was her talk of the food sealed the deal. Honestly, its a beautiful island and I knew that, but if it didn't offer good eating, I wouldn't be tempted to go there. But, it does - a wonderful little bakery called Holly B's and a waterside restaurant called the Bay Cafe. In 24 hours on the island Zack and I arrived at the bakery for sustenance three different times (2 lunches and a breakfast) and were never disappointed - almond butterhorns, cinnamon rolls, unique pizza, cookies and more! Saturday evening we had a wonderful meal at the Bay Cafe. This isn't fancy food, but it is truly tasty and generous. We had dinner at 5:30pm and enjoyed the 3 course meal for $30 while sitting in one of the most beautiful settings I have ever eaten dinner. Al fresco, right on the edge of the water, 70 degrees, warm breeze, delicious unpretentious food and THIS view!


So, how does Butternut Squash Curry fit in? The thing is, that after a weekend like that, I feel relaxed and satisfied, but also a little roly-poly and post-vacation eating is in order. Enter this curry. I saw it in Martha Stewart's current issue of Living and it called to me. So healthy, full of favorite spices and butternut squash cooked until soft and soaked in flavor. 2 cups is extremely filling, packed with nutrients and fiber and only about 250 calories! And that's dinner! It could also be blended into a smooth soup if you prefer. Definitely top it with Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream, a squeeze of lime and a shower of cilantro.


Butternut Squash Curry
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, October 2009

2 lbs butternut squash, peeled halved and seeded
1 large onion, cut into large chunks
4 garlic cloves
2.5 cups chicken stock, plus 2 tablespoons
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fennel sedds
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 two-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 tbl tomato paste
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp crushed red-pepper flakes

Optional toppings: Cilantro, yogurt and lime

METHOD

Cut squash into large chunks, about 1 inch.

Puree onion, garlic, 2 tbl stock and ginger in a blender until smooth

Heat oil in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Add mustard seeds, fennel seeds, and coriander and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Stir in onion paste. cook, stirring often, until caramelized lightly, about 12 minutes.

Add tomato paste, scraping bottom of pot if needed. Stir in 2.5 cups of chicken stock, the salt and crushed red-pepper flakes. Add squash, (liquid should cover 90% of squash at least) cover partially and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, uncover and simmer gently until squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Serve over rice if you want, but for lighter version, just eat as is with yogurt, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Father's Day Steakhouse

Zack and I have such wonderful Fathers. It doesn't feel like there is any way to fully express our gratitude for them. They are men of legacy, strength and unfailing commitment and love for their families.

We had the honor of hosting them both last night for Father's Day. It was really fun to have them together, something that doesn't happen often. Interestingly, they have a lot in common. They are about the same age and worked as counselors and public servants in one way or another as we grew up. They served in the Air Force during Vietnam, both as medics. My Father was stationed in the Philippines. One of his duties was x-raying and loading wounded soldiers onto air transports bound for United States. Back at home in Bremerton, Zack's Dad served unloading those same types of transport planes, sending the men to hospitals and surgeries once they had arrived back in the states for treatment. As they sat sharing stories I was just so humbled by the fact that they had shared such a painful experience, and that so many of our fathers and grandfathers have. Humbled and blessed by their sacrifice, though they never speak of it as such.

For this special dinner, I wanted to make some classic steakhouse favorites - real "Dad" food, so to speak. My Dad gets excited about a few foods. Among them, hot fresh bread and good butter, wedge salads dripping with blue cheese and ice cream in all its forms. Since all that doesn't really make a meal, I filled in the rest with some other things I thought they'd both love.

The menu:

Buttermilk Cornmeal Crusted Onion Rings
with curried ketchup


Iceberg Wedge salad
with heirloom cherry tomatoes, cucumber,
maytag blue cheese dressing and applewood smoked bacon


Bistecca Fiorentina or in English...
Herb Crusted Porterhouse Steak

Zack claims this was my best steak ever. I've made it about 5 times now and as with anything, practice makes perfect! The key is to get a real wet crust on the meat. Do this by making sure to follow the dry herb and salt rub with plenty of olive oil so that the rub is fully adhered to the to the meat. The oil reacts with the heat to ensure a deep dark crust. Just what you want! The meat within was tender and luscious.

Baked Dutch Baby Potatoes
with lemon thyme sour cream and snipped chives

Mini-baked potatoes essentially, but about the size of thumbs, so you don't fill up on potato. Equal portions potato to butter and cream. Wicked.

Julie's Hot Rosemary Bread
and Kerrygold Irish butter

and for dessert...

Dana Treat's INCREDIBLE
Peanut Brittle and Caramel Crunch Ice Cream Pie

I was so happy with how everything turned out. Delicious food and such great company. My Dad actually said it was one of the best meals he's ever had. After sixty plus years of meals, I have to say I highly doubt it, but it was music to his "little girl's" ears all the same.

I definitely want to share with you this awesome onion ring recipe, adapted from Ina Garten. The corn meal adds a wonderful crunch and sweetness. The real highlight of this appetizer was the addition of curried ketchup. The curry may be surprising but it takes this humble condiment to a whole new level. Try it with onion rings, fries, potato chips, burgers, whatever you put ketchup on.

Curried Ketchup

3/4 cup ketchup
1 Tbl curry powder

Mix together and taste. Add more curry powder if desired.

Buttermilk Cornmeal Crusted Onion Rings

2 large Spanish onions (or 3 yellow onions or sweet onions)
2 cups buttermilk
3-6 dashes of Tabasco (depending on the heat you like)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup flour
1/4 cup (medium) yellow cornmeal
1 quart vegetable oil

Peel the onions, slice them 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick, and separate them into rings. Combine the buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add the onion rings, toss well, and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes. (The onion rings can sit in the buttermilk for a few hours.) In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

When you're ready to fry the onion rings, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a large pot or Dutch oven. (A candy thermometer attached to the side of the pot will help you maintain the proper temperature.) Working in batches, lift some onions out of the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour mixture. Drop into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes, until golden brown, turning them once with tongs. Don't crowd them! Place the finished onion rings on the baking sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt, and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the next batch. Continue frying the onion rings and placing them in the warm oven until all the onions are fried. They will remain crisp in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Staycation Notes: An Indian cooking class

Why do I look so intense? I'm grating ginger for goodness sake!

About two weeks ago now, Zack and I went on Staycation. I told you we were going, but haven't had a chance yet to tell you all about it. I figure, when I want to blog but don't have something more immediate to tell you, I'll go back to those wonderful five days and relive one of our adventures.

Today I give you, our cooking class evening at the Blue Ribbon Cooking School. This was the first time Zack and I had taken a cooking class together and I was so excited. The cooking school is located on the Lake Union waterfront, just off Eastlake. We arrived a bit early and helped ourselves at the self-service bar. It was set up with a wide variety of wines and some Indian inspired cocktails. The Ginger Cosmo for me and a Tamarind Cocktail for Zack. The school is quite large with a demonstration kitchen, dining area and reception space, as well as an open air deck where we sat and sipped our libations in the evening sun. Before long, there were thirty of us and class was in session.

Our instructor had lived for seven years in India and spoke with authority on the dishes, as well as a lot of humor. She got us started right to work making vegetable samosas and explaining the basic elements of Indian cuisine, including some of the unique ingredients essential to it. After about fifteen minutes, we reviewed the evenings menu and broke into teams to cook. If you don't know much about cooking technique, this would be a bit of a shock, because it was basically, "here's your recipe, here's your ingredients, now whip up your dish and we'll all eat it for dinner!" Zack and I joined forces with a woman in her 50's who had never eaten Indian food before in her life. I took charge. We made vegetable pulao, which is the saffron and garam masala scented rice often served with saucy meat dishes. This recipe was also studded with lots of great vegetation. The kitchen was quite a bustle as we all tripped over each other cooking our dishes. The resulting buffet was all good, although some dishes much better than others. We met a lot of fun people, the comradery was thick and after dinner spread we just about rolled out of the place. Here are just a few of the items the group made and my heaping plate...of seconds!


You may find this absurd, but I expected to come away from the class inspired to plan and throw long Indian dinner parties in our home. In these daydreams, I saw Zack and I working together on the meal and it being known that our "thing" was to cook Indian dinners in tandem for our blessed guests. I often create lofty ideas like this for my culinary forays. We enjoyed the class, but walked away relatively unchanged. Imagine that - NOT transformed by a three hour cooking class. What a shocker. :) Indian food is wonderful, and we'll enjoy it for lazy evenings of take-out and movies as we always have, but its not something I'm really inspired to cook at home. I think my culinary heart is pretty much trapped between Northern France and Southern Italy and I need to come to terms with that. All the same, it was a fabulous evening and worth every penny. I highly recommend it.

Ultimate Dessert Championship

So, as I'm sure all my readers know (because all my readers are personal friends and family, to my knowledge!) I am a committed member of an incredible church called Mars Hill. I attend its Downtown Seattle campus. One of the main ways I serve at church is through throwing, coordinating, planning, hosting, whatever is needed...events.

I have been an event planner since I was old enough to formulate a to-do list, I'd say about 7. In my early 20's, I followed this passion into the professional world as an event planner for a wonderful catering company. Since then, I have planned events professionally for a number of different companies, as a service to my church or community and as a personal entertainer - pretty much non-stop! There is always the next event on the horizon and I like it that way. So this leads me to last Saturday. Well, lets start in January. My pastor asked if I had ideas or could help him plan an event geared towards the single people at our campus, of which there are many. I said yes, and as is typical for me, I have taken a bite of this need and I haven't let go. The first event was a bit weak and we were determined to create a better experience the second time out. After much deliberation with the team, the Ultimate Dessert Championship was born. A knock down, drag out dessert bake-off, where only one comes out standing! At least that was the idea behind the marketing (think UFC). :)

Anyway, I was so happy with the event, because I really felt it broke a lot of ice and helped everyone meet someone new. 110 people attended and 30 of them baked and entered desserts. The guests ate dinner, competed in trivia and other competitions and judged desserts. They really got into the scoring and had a great time. We shook up the evening by having the guests sit at tables with people they didn't know, using a fancy arbitrary placement system (yeah right, we put numbers on the bottom of their paper plates that coordinated with what table they had to sit at). Now, in my experience with these competitions, a cheesecake always wins, UNLESS, there is a molten chocolate cake of some type. In which case, no one else even has a chance. This winning chocolate cake was even better than the normal molten gooey goodness, because she used almond paste as well. Chocolate and almond, OH MY! This was the high scoring, absolute winner and I'd definitely recommend it if you really want to impress someone with dessert!


Ultimate Dessert Champion of the World: Almond Chocolate Torte
(pictured in main space above) by Megan Behrmann

For Cake:

1 tsp instant coffee powder
2 Tbs hot water
4 oz semi-sweet coffee
1 Tbl shortening
3 eggs seperated
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup almond paste
1/2 cup flour
a pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8 inch round pan and sprinkle with
cocoa.

Mix instant coffee and hot water together. Melt the shortening and
semi-sweet chocolate together over a double boiler or glass bowl over simmering water and cool. Stir in coffee.

Whip egg whites into soft peaks.

Cream butter and sugar. Add almond paste, egg yolks, salt and flour. Add
chocolate coffee mixture and mix until fully incorporated. Fold in egg
whites in thirds.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until tester pierced 1 inch from the edge comes out clean (note: the center will still be quite gooey and delicicious). Cool
for 10 minutes and then turn out. Allow to cool completely and then top with
glaze and let sit for 2-4 hours.

For Glaze

1 and 1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 Tbl butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
2-3 Tbl warm water
a pinch of salt

Melt chocolate and butter together. Whisk in sugar, salt, almond and
vanilla. Add warm water to thin as needed. Pour over cake and allow to
harden.

An wildly memorable Tuscan Tavolata

Kay's fabulous table"scape"

This weekend marked the most hilarious dinner party I have ever been a part of, hands down. It started innocently at 6:30 with plates of delicious antipasto and ended after midnight with dancing and cartwheels on the lawn! I'm pretty sure a conga line was in there somewhere too. But I digress...

Once a quarter, a group of women I have known since I was six years old get together to cook a wonderful meal. We don't all get together at once for any other occasion, but our shared love of the kitchen and enjoyment of each other makes it seem like no time has past. We haven't really settled on a good name for the group, though this issue is always a source of discussion. The working title is Le Cinq Gourmandes, a nod to the fabulous Julia Child.

Each dinner has a theme. We discuss and debate the merits of each upcoming theme at length and the first time it came to a vote. We take turns hosting and each of us cooks a course and offers a paired wine or other special libation. Tuscany was the inspiration for this meal and the variety and beauty of the meal was copious to say the least. In this case, a picture really is worth a thousand words.

~ 1st Course ~

A sensational Antipasto with everything your little heart could desire

~2nd Course~
Ricotta, Reggiano, Corn and Basil Ravioli
with butter sauce, pine nuts and more reggiano

This was my course and I am really angry with myself because I skimped on the butter and why in the WORLD did I do that? I've made this better on other occasions. It still makes me cringe. But I didn't let it ruin my night. I swallowed hard and moved ON!

~ 3rd Course~

Sauteed Scallops with Heirloom tomatoes
and grilled red onions

This was the perfect Main course. Anything heavier would have been the death of us after the antipasto and pasta courses. The tart acid of the tomatoes with the creamy scallops was a wonder.

~ 4th Course~

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart
with vanilla cream

Kelly's first tart! And it was glorious. Chocolate and hazelnut are such a perfectly Italian combination. Nice choice girl!

So, there it is! Just a few of 115 picture taken, but some of the best ones. Sadly, though honestly I'm sure we're all relieved, the camera ran out of juice around 10:30pm. And it was after this that dancing ensued. Perhaps the Dancing Gourmets would be a good name?

Indian Cooking Class adventure

Why do I look so intense? I'm grating ginger for goodness sake!

About two weeks ago now, Zack and I went on Staycation. I told you we were going, but haven't had a chance yet to tell you all about it. I figure, when I want to blog but don't have something more immediate to tell you, I'll go back to those wonderful five days and relive one of our adventures.

Today I give you, our cooking class evening at the Blue Ribbon Cooking School. This was the first time Zack and I had taken a cooking class together and I was so excited. The cooking school is located on the Lake Union waterfront, just off Eastlake. We arrived a bit early and helped ourselves at the self-service bar. It was set up with a wide variety of wines and some Indian inspired cocktails. The Ginger Cosmo for me and a Tamarind Cocktail for Zack. The school is quite large with a demonstration kitchen, dining area and reception space, as well as an open air deck where we sat and sipped our libations in the evening sun. Before long, there were thirty of us and class was in session.

Our instructor had lived for seven years in India and spoke with authority on the dishes, as well as a lot of humor. She got us started right to work making vegetable samosas and explaining the basic elements of Indian cuisine, including some of the unique ingredients essential to it. After about fifteen minutes, we reviewed the evenings menu and broke into teams to cook. If you don't know much about cooking technique, this would be a bit of a shock, because it was basically, "here's your recipe, here's your ingredients, now whip up your dish and we'll all eat it for dinner!" Zack and I joined forces with a woman in her 50's who had never eaten Indian food before in her life. I took charge. We made vegetable pulau, which is the saffron and garam masala scented rice often served with saucy meat dishes. This recipe was also studded with lots of great vegetation. The kitchen was quite a bustle as we all tripped over each other cooking our dishes. The resulting buffet was all good, although some dishes much better than others. We met a lot of fun people, the comradery was thick and after dinner spread we just about rolled out of the place. Here are just a few of the items the group made and my heaping plate...of seconds!


You may find this absurd, but I expected to come away from the class inspired to plan and throw long Indian dinner parties in our home. In these daydreams, I saw Zack and I working together on the meal and it being known that our "thing" was to cook Indian dinners in tandem for our blessed guests. I often create lofty ideas like this for our culinary forays. We enjoyed the class, but walked away relatively unchanged. Imagine that - NOT transformed by a three hour cooking class. What a shocker. :) Indian food is wonderful, and we'll enjoy it for lazy evenings of take-out and movies as we always have, but its not something I'm really inspired to cook at home. I think my culinary heart is pretty much trapped between Northern France and Southern Italy and I need to come to terms with that. All the same, it was a fabulous evening all the same and worth every penny. I highly recommend it.

Wednesday Market Challenge

Today was kind of a big day in my culinary life. I went to the Wallingford Farmer's Market, bought fresh local ingredients and made dinner entirely out of them. Now, I have been to farmer's markets more times than I can count. They are a visual joy. Impeccable produce, breads, meats, pasta, etc. The promise of the market just appeals to me on a deep level. So why haven't I purchased from them in the past? A couple of reasons...

Zack and I just don't eat many vegetables. He just doesn't like many of them and I haven't learned how to cook them well. I definitely make a lot of salads, but they are generally of the spring greens, fruit, nuts and cheese variety and lacking in true, healthful vegetation. Farmer's markets are also more expensive and I have a strange dichotomy when it comes to money and food. When it comes to every day groceries I am very cheap. When it comes to dinner party groceries I am very generous. When it comes to dining out, I am very very generous. So, despite delighting in food and cooking, I can also be very basic and Zack is perfectly happy with that. Toasted tortillas, sauteed chicken with taco seasoning, beans, salsa and sour cream are a regular weeknight dinner. I know, its a shameful secret. :) Here's another one - my favorite on-the-go lunch is a large diet coke and hamburger from McDonald's. Hey - it's only five points! The third reason is that true farmer's market shopping is not conducive to deciding what you want to make, shopping for it and cooking. The opposite is true. I am a big-time plan ahead person, so this is hard for me. You go to the market with only the vaguest (if any) idea of what to cook and based on the ingredients available, you are inspired. The balance is that the excellence of the ingredients will stand out and require less manipulation. The foods can be enjoyed simply prepared without complex recipes.

So, I set out for the market today with the desire to buy and cook our dinner from what was available there. I have a great desire to bring more vegetables to our dinner plates and have Zack actually enjoy them! I have to tell you that it was a wonderful experience and has inspired me to create for myself this Wednesday Market Challenge. Every Wednesday, at 3pm, I'm going to wonder the Wallingford Farmer's Market. Each week, I will buy the main ingredients for our dinner there. In this way, I hope to learn more about what's in season when, to grow in my ability to cook without recipes, to feed my little family well, to grow to know the purveyors of the food as many other writers have inspired me to do and to support a wonderful network of farmers, bakers, ranchers and food products that make our dinner tables more delicious. I'll be posting the Wednesday Market dinner here each Thursday morning.

If any of you would like to join me in this challenge, feel free to post your farmer's market creations on my Wednesday posts or if you'd like to join me at the market, that would be wonderful too!