Sweets for dinner?

I have no idea where I came across this recipe, but I'm guessing it was in the bulletin boards of Cooking Light... I can't believe how tender the pork was--I couldn't slice it, it was just like buttah and fell apart instead! Easy peasy, and it'll be ready when you come home starving from work/gym/errands :) I thought about throwing in some fresh herbs at the end (sage, thyme, or rosemary), but I couldn't make up my mind and left it out. Might've added a little something-something ;-)

Apricot-Glazed Pork Loin w/Sweet Potatoes

From Cooking Light Slow Cooker Cookbook, 2004

Serves 2

3 c cubed sweet potatoes
1/2 c apricot preserves, divided (mine was apricot-peach, I bet cherry would also be fantastic)
1/4 tsp salt, divided
1 bay leaves
1/2 lb boneless pork tenderloin or pork loin, trimmed

Place sweet potatoes, 1/2 c preserves, and 1/4 tsp salt into a slow cooker. Toss well. Add bay leaves. Arrange tenderloins over sweet potatoes; sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt. Spread 1/2 c preserves over tenderloins. Cover with lid; cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce to low and 7 hours or until pork and sweet potatoes are tender. Remove pork from slow cooker and slice. Discard bay leaves. Serve pork with sweet potatoes and sauce.

Who's Auntie Anne anyways?

Did I conquer my fear of yeast?? A foccacia here, flatbread there, some pizza dough that wasn't half bad, and now this... I think I just may have! I think the pizza dough was the best learning experience for me. I'm still not overly-comfortable, but with an open package of yeast after my flatbread and a rosemary tree, I jumped at the chance to make some homemade pretzels :) These have been on my "to-make" list for awhile now, so now was as good a time as any.

pre-bake

I followed a recipe from Baking Bites, via the Peanut Butter Boy, cutting it it back to 1/3 as to account for the amount of yeast I had left (why i didn't just open another package i don't know...). Also threw in about 1T rosemary as that's in abundance right now :)


There's something about homemade bread that smells freakin fantastic, and is so irresistable when it comes out of the oven that there's no denying it, even if it is midnight!! (yeah, i started them a bit too late!). SOOO good warm, I'd recommend eating them this way :)

spooky, no?

And if you're not a reader of Jaden's Steamy Kitchen yet, you should be! Here's a reason to start, she's hosting a HUGE Holiday Giveaway with a bunch of really fantastic products that would be such a treat to recieve.

Another fabulous blogger Zesty is also having a giveaway to celebrate 100 posts!! Go visit his site for the details, and check out his yummy recipes while you're there :)

Rounding out the Care Packages

The weekend was filled with baking, as I wanted to get my 'Thank you' goodies out Monday morning. Unfortunately for me, I did not realize that it would be a balmy 1 degree outside (w/wind chill) Monday morning as I trudged to the post office with a garbage bas full of boxes. I did, however, feel a bit like santa :) hehe. I heard that one of them arrived safe and sound last night, so i think it's ok now to share what else I included...

In the spirit of the cranberry season, I made mini loaves of Orange Cranberry Bread. The orange juice and zest really contribute to the flavor, and I really enjoyed it (don't worry, I made an extra ;) )! I didn't realize until the batter was almost done that I didn't have dried cranberries, so dried cherries got thrown in, in case you notice that they look larger than your average cranberry.



From a post on holiday gift giving ideas over at 28 Cooks, I decided to include some Dukkah. I'd never had it before, but it seemed like the perfect thing to ship. What is it? A mix of ground nuts and middle eastern spices, the possibilities with this one are endless. Just in case I wasn't the only ignorant one, I included a list of potential uses that I compiled from various places on the web. I actually ended up following the recipe found here, adding some pine nuts (since I scaled up alot, that would've been a LOT of sesame seeds!). I think I ground mine up a bit too fine, but still really enjoyed the flavors on this one! I guess it doesn't help when you start picking out the large chunks, either--oops!


So far I've tried it on fresh baked bread


And on a grilled cheese toast of sorts


It's quite yummy and I'm thinking this won't be the last time I make it!! Ooh, I should probably note, in case you don't already know, that cumin seeds don't grind in a food processor, you'll need a coffee/spice grinder for them! I was worried for a bit :) This is definately amenable to individual tastes, too, so have fun with it!

Last, but very not least, to accompany the two other cookies, I had to include my Seven Layer Bars. These are ALWAYS a crowd pleaser, and often requested, so I couldn't let my people down :) I remember them as my mom's, but I think it was my grandmother who started making these. They're a permanent fixture at our family holidays, although there are various versions out there (Magic Cookie Bars?).

Seven Layer Bars
Mom/Grandma's tried and true


1 stick butter (sometimes i go a little less)
1c graham cracker crumbs
1c chocolate chips
1c butterscotch chips
1c flaked coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk (I use fat-free)
1c chopped walnuts

Place butter in 9x13 pan and put it in the oven, preheat to 350deg. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs evenly (or somewhat) over butter. Then add both of the chips, coconut, drizzle the condensed milk, then top with walnuts. Bake for 30 minutes (might want to check at 25 min, but you're nose will tell you when it's done!), until golden and bubbly. Let cool before cutting. (this is by far the hardest part for me, I love the ooey-gooey-ness!) Enjoy!!

Healing Biscotti

Mom's recovering from back surgery, so I figured I would send her some Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti to help keep her strength up ;-) I didn't have any of the finished product, but the batter sure was tasty! Hopefully they will arrive in bigger, rather than smaller pieces...


Here's a look inside my mug :) Given to me by my college doubles partner, I love it!!



On another note... I was flipping through the January 2009 issue of Bon Appetit and was excited to see the Best of the Year treands. First was dessert: peanut butter desserts!! umm, me thinks bon appetit is a little slow on the uptake here, but that's ok, as long as you don't take away the peanut butter! Next was breakfast being the new restaurant trend! As someone who would happily eat breakfast 3x a day, I'm loving this one, too. Pegged 'the value issue' I also noticed an article on bargain bottles (reds and whites), if you're into that sort of thing. Ricotta and Eggs also made appearances in the issue, so it was a pretty good one :)

Phew, one last dish, a slightly tweaked version of Maggie's Pear and Crab Salad. I used more cabbage, and threw in some apple slices and arils. I love adding arils to salads, provided a little crunch in there and diversified the textures :) Yum!

my Christmas tree jumped into the photo!

And if you haven't heard of some amazing things happening in blogworld... The amazing Heather and Mark over at Hangry Pants are sponsoring a food drive!! Hit up the comments on this post and help support the RI Community Food Bank :) And since I don't have a blender, I was extremely excited to see a VitaMix giveaway over at Eating Bender. And importantly, don't forget that I referred you;-) hehe. Baking Bites is also hosting a holiday cupcake contest, so there's room for creativity if you're so inclined :)

One for the Table Gets Ready for the Holidays

Amy Ephron's One for the Table recently posted a holiday special called "Xmas on Your Doorstep." Regular contributors were asked to talk about,

... their favorite things that come in the mail at Xmas. We always think that one of the nicest things to do, if you can’t be with someone at the holidays, is to send something that can be part of their holiday meal, Xmas dinner, Xmas breakfast. A favorite jam, a basket of muffins, crab cakes, caviar (although this may not be the year for that), an apple pie, candleholders, a smoked ham or turkey, or even barbecued brisket!

Steven Zaillian, Alan Zweibel, Agatha French, Emily Fox, Susan Dolgen, Lisa Dinsmore, Andrea Pyenson, David Israel, Seale Ballenger, and Brenda Athanus remembered with fondness gifts that came in the mail that were as varied as "Mexican wedding cookies" and "a small shovel".

I contributed my own more conflicted response, detailing what was a continuing debate in my parents' household during the holiday season. My father was all in favor of Mail Order Food. My mother was not.

Mail Order Food

I associate mail order food with my father. When I was growing up, he and I had very few connections. He took me to only one professional football game. He never came to Back-to-School Night and had no interest in any of my hobbies. I remember him as dour, not very talkative and disapproving. I was part of his second family and he was, I’m certain, just a bit too old to have a young kid running around.

Added to that, my father was burdened by tragedy. He was the eldest son of a prosperous Jewish family in Odessa on the Black Sea. Unfortunately when the Russian Revolution swept across the country, Bolsheviks rampaged through his neighborhood, lining up and shooting many people, including my father’s family. Being Jewish and well-to-do were two strikes too many at a time when “line them up against the wall” was meant literally.

Luckily for my father, when all this happened, he was studying at the University of Kiev. He learned later that his mother had survived because she had very thick hair. When she was shot at point blank range, the gunpowder was apparently so weak that the bullet merely lodged in her hair, knocking her unconscious and otherwise leaving her unharmed. My father never returned home to Odessa, having been told that he needed to flee the country, which he promptly did.

This is a long way of saying that my father spent his entire life reacting to this tragic event. The few times I remember him being happy was when he watched wrestling on TV (remember Gorgeous George?) and when the mail order food packages arrived during the holidays.

I was convinced that those packages reconnected him with happier memories of his family in Odessa. I remember watching him at the dining room table as he unpacked the treats he'd ordered: wine soaked cheddar in crocks, salamis rolled in herbs, specialty English crackers, chocolates from Belgium, tins of anchovies and sardines, glass jars with Italian antipasti, pasteurized caviar from the Caspian Sea, and cellophane wrapped packages of Russian black bread. He would get out a plate and encourage my mother and myself to share them with him. It would take him several days to finish everything and in that time he would munch away contentedly, a smile on his face.

But for my mother, those packages were an issue of contention. To her they were an extravagance. We had to watch our expenses in those days and we couldn't afford such luxuries, but my dad was old school and felt that this was one of his few pleasures and he should be indulged. Unfortunately my father had inherited his family's love of the good life without having inherited their wealth.

My dad died some years ago, my mom in 2006, but when the holiday catalogues start to arrive around Thanksgiving, I relive their debate about mail order food. The catalogues I enjoy the most are from Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table with their exquisite photographs and seductive descriptions. I look lovingly at the boxes of Handcrafted Toffee, Cream-Nut Milk-Chocolate Peanut Butter Clusters, Perfect Endings Cupcakes, Chocolate-Dipped Peppermint Moravian Cookies, wheels of Stilton Cheese, the D'Artagnan Pate Collection, and the Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked Ham. And I am seriously tempted to buy something.

Then I look at the prices and return to my senses. My mother taught me all too well. Her reproof to my father that mail order food is too expensive rings in my ears and, besides which, as she and my grandmother always said, "Never buy retail." And yet, that smoked ham sounds really delicious, as does the handcrafted toffee, and there would be the added pleasure of connecting with my father who, for all his many faults, did imbue me with a love of good food.

Couscous Steps Up to the Plate as a Main Course

Traditional couscous has a home in the flavorful cuisines of North Africa. Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, and Libya have perfected a small grained, steamed couscous that contrasts well with their spicy sauces. Preparing authentic couscous requires a steamer and considerable patience. The result, while delicious, is too time-consuming for most people.

Instant couscous is now widely available, made with either white or whole wheat flour. Requiring only 10 minutes in a hot water bath, this small grained version is perfect for a grilled vegetable couscous salad.

There is also a larger pearl-sized, "Israeli" couscous, which is prepared in a manner similar to risotto. The grains are first lightly toasted in olive oil, then a liquid is added. The grains soak up the liquid as they cook and expand 2-3 times their original size. With the addition of vegetables or meat, this version can easily be a main course.

Couscous with Vegetables

Aesthetically I like to keep all the ingredients about the same size as the cooked couscous grains. Because couscous is a pasta, it will continue to absorb all the liquid it's given, so the couscous should be served as soon as it is cooked. Don't put in too much liquid or you risk overloading the grains and making them mushy.

Yield: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup Israeli couscous
1 medium yellow onion, washed, peeled, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, washed, trimmed, finely chopped
4 brown or shiitake mushrooms, washed, finely chopped
1/2 cup Italian parsley, washed, finely chopped, leaves and stems
1/2 cup corn kernels
2-3 cups liquid, water
1 tablespoon sweet butter
Olive oil
Sea salt and pepper

Method

Over a medium flame, heat a tablespoon of olive oil, seasoned with sea salt and pepper. Add the couscous and lightly brown. Remove from the pan.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil, seasoned with sea salt and pepper, and saute the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, parsley, corn, and mushrooms until lightly browned. Add the butter and put back the toasted couscous, stir well, pour in 2 cups of water.

Heat uncovered for 5-10 minutes, stirring to prevent burning. Taste a couscous grain. If it needs more liquid, add a cup of water, stir, and continue to simmer another 5 minutes. Taste and add more sea salt and pepper as needed.

Serve immediately.

Variations

Add 1 cup chopped spinach leaves, no stems, when you add the liquid.

Add finely chopped broccoli or squash or red peppers or tomatoes to the vegetable saute.

Use meat stock (chicken, beef, or veal) instead of water.

Add finely chopped chicken meat or sausage to the vegetable saute.

You got it, Rosemary!!

Want a good gift for someone who likes to cook? The 'tree' in my last post was a rosemary plant, given to me by my awesome mom at thanksgiving :) How thoughtful! I knew I'd have to put it to good use, and the first thing I used it for was a Rosemary Flatbread w/Grapes, Gorgonzola & Honey. I cut the recipe in half and used white whole wheat flour and some vital wheat gluten instead of white bread flour. The dough smelled great, and it really was a great combination of flavors!! Here's a small slice...


... which didn't suffice :) Definately went back for more! Look for more rosemary in the weeks to come!

on the stone