Pumpkin and Pineapple Cocktail

Alright, you probably think I'm a bit of a nutter for suggesting pumpkin plus pineapple. Maybe even for suggesting pumpkin be consumed outside it's traditional fall season.  Well, give me a chance!

It's spring, that transition between dreary winter and sultry summer.  So we need an app a drink for that (obviously).  And the Pumpkin and Pineapple Cocktail is just the ticket. It's got the warmth of spices, the slightest molasses note of dark rum, and the comforting depth of pumpkin puree.  Then a little something extra comes to the party in the form of pineapple, transporting you to sunnier days and a cabana on the beach.  In other words, pumpkin + spices are lightened up and taken to a whole new realm by tropical pineapple....and the tropical pineapple is likewise altered by the earthy flavors of pumpkin + spices, which prevent it from turning into a sickly sweet bomb.

As you're sipping this cocktail, you might find yourself thinking Woah. What is that? I need another taste... And another... Okay, I like this. I really like this.  Must. Have. More.   At least that's what I did, because the flavors were so unexpected yet so fun and delicious.  Give non-fall pumpkin and unexpected flavor combinations a chance!

Pumpkin Pineapple Cocktail

from Cookie + Kate

Makes 2 drinks

Ingredients:

7 oz. pineapple juice

3 tbsp. pumpkin puree

1 tsp. honey (add more or less to taste)

1 large lemon, juiced

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground ginger

dash nutmeg (freshly grated for the best flavor)

dash allspice or cloves

3 oz. dark rum (not spiced...dark rum, like Mrs. Meyers or Gosling's)

Preparation:

Pour all ingredients into a blender and blend well.  Into two glasses, pour over ice and, if you're feeling fancy, garnish with a dash of cinnamon on top. Cheers!

It's an unusual pairing, pumpkin and pineapple, so I have to admit, I was a bit nervous this might not be something I wanted to finish drinking (the horror!). But each sip was delicious! I was intrigued by how the slightest hint of molasses from the dark rum and the spices brought two very disparate players together.  I  loved trying a combination fresh and new to me, so much so that I couldn't put my glass down!

And if you're thinking pumpkin should only be consumed in the fall, I strongly disagree.  Make some pumpkin waffles/pancakes or a pumpkin milkshake (bonus for adding pumpkin cream liquor). Stir some pumpkin puree into your smoothie or  your yogurt.  It is so good and it should be seen more outside of fall!

Strawberry Rhubarb Banana Bourbon Bread

I'm officially done with winter.  The weatherman promises freezing rain and a few inches of snow tomorrow, which means all the Cincinnati drivers will flip out the instant they see or even hear about a snowflake.  It's bizarre and it happens.  They also turn into morons over rain, but that's a story for another day...

The story for today is this quickbread.  It's a banana bread, so it's super moist and flavorful, especially if you use bananas completely beyond ripe.  It's flavored with the spicy warmth of bourbon (or dark rum, if that's your thing) to fight the winter chill.  And it has jammy pockets of bright, summery strawberries and tart rhubarb to sing of summer to your sleepy tastebuds.

In other words, this quickbread is exactly what you need when you are at the end of your ability to deal with winter.  Or anytime you want something delicious and impossible to resist for your midday snack or your second breakfast.  I've made this bread too many times to count in the past two years, shortly after my addiction to reading blogs took off.  The source of this recipe, Sassy Radish, is a stellar blog with lovely writing and equally lovely recipes.  But this quickbread is by far my favorite recipe of hers.

If you, like me, were wondering what exactly is a quickbread, Wikipedia has our answer (of course) (yes, I'm getting a graduate degree and still turn to Wikipedia for quick answers.  It's usually spot on.).  A quickbread is any type of bread leavened with agents other than yeast.  This includes a wide array of our favorite baked goods, such as cakes, cookies, brownies, banana bread, biscuits, cornbread, muffins, pancakes, scones, and that darling of March, soda bread.

Oh soda bread! Get ready, I'm coming for you...

Strawberry Rhubarb Banana Bourbon Bread
Barely adapted from Sassy Radish (get the original recipe here)
Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:
1 cup (about 5 oz.) rhubarb*
1 cup (about 5 oz.) strawberries**
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided into 1/2 cup and 1 cup portions
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg (Please, please, please just get whole nutmeg and grate it. It'll blow your mind)
3/4 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
3 very overripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)***
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. bourbon or dark rum

*For the rhubarb, I typically use the frozen sliced rhubarb found in the grocery store.  Just thaw it to room temperature and chop smaller, if necessary.
**For the strawberries, I often use the frozen whole or sliced strawberries found in the grocery store.  Just thaw it to room temperature and chop (or, ahem, smash slightly with the masher to get smaller pieces of strawberries).
***For the bananas, I use frozen peeled bananas that I stockpile in the freezer.  When the banana is way too ripe for me to eat, I peel it and store it with other bananas in an airtight bag in the freezer.  A quick tip on that:  stack the bananas whole in a bag (quart size works best for me) so you can break an entire banana off when needed.  Again, just thaw to room temperature if using frozen bananas.

A handy note:
Feel free to use frozen rhubarb, frozen strawberries, frozen (but still very ripe) bananas here.  They work very well, especially in the dead of winter when produce is scarce and flavorless.  Speed up thawing by microwaving (usually 70% power for 45 second bursts) until just barely frozen.  Create smaller pieces of the fruits using a potato masher.  Just keep your mashing of the rhubarb and strawberries to a bare minimum - you want chunks of these in the bread.

Preparation:

If using frozen fruit, thaw to room temperature (feel free to use the microwave to speed things up, but keep your fruit slightly frozen/chilled).

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees Farenheit.  Generously butter a 9x5 loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.  I recommend forming a sling out of the parchement paper to help with removal later on.  To do this, cut a piece of paper to fit the pan...but leave extra paper on both sides, so the edges of the parchment paper extend higher than the sides of the pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together the rhubarb and strawberries with a 1/2 cup of sugar.  Set aside while you prepare the rest of the quickbread.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry goods (flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt) until well-combined and fluffy.

Use an electric or stand mixer to beat the butter and the remaining 1 cup of granulated sugar until light and creamy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Scrape the sides of the bowl down, then add the bananas, sour cream, vanilla, and bourbon (or dark rum) and mix well.

Add the dry goods mixture to the wet goods in two parts, stirring until just barely combined after each addition.  Less mixing here = less gluten formed = more tender crumb. Gently fold the sugar-rhubarb-strawberry mixture in until evenly distributed.  Folding (instead of using the electric mixer) will help keep gluten formation to a minimum, maintaining the tender crumb you've been working towards.

Transfer the batter to your prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top with a spoon or spatula.  Bake for 70 minutes, or until the top is a deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (no crumbs or wet batter).  If you tap the top of the bread, it will offer a bit of resistance...meaning it won't collapse under your touch.

Allow the bread to cool for 15 minutes in the pan, but remove it to a cooling rack immediately after that.  Running a knife around the edges of the loaf will help loosen it, and now is the time to deploy the parchment paper sling were you wise enough to use it.  

Store the bread loosely wrapped in a kitchen towel or wax paper to preserve your deep golden crust.  Wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap or safely storing inside an airtight container will create a gummy and thoroughly unappealing crust.  Eat within 3-5 days, though you shouldn't have any problem with that.

Notes:

--I just can't get enough of this bread in winter.  I'm not entirely sure why I make it in winter, but I suspect it has to do with the comfort factor and the remind-me-of-summer factor.  Plus it keeps my oven on for an hour, and there are times when that helps heat my apartment.  

--Anything cooked in a loaf pan seems to require a sixth sense in knowing whether it is done or not.  In my opinion, the variability in doneness is related to:  1) quality of your loaf pan and 2) the heat of your oven.  I use a heavy non-stick loaf pan made by Baker's Secret, which I found at Target.  When I switched over from the thin, flimy, aluminum loaf pan I had been using, I saw an immediate improvement in my breads.   Likewise, knowing whether your oven runs hotter or cooler than the set temperature will help you know when to check on your bread.  And check often!

--For an irresistible extra crunch, sprinkle granulated sugar or turbinado (raw) sugar on top of the loaf immediately before baking. 

Strawberry Coconut Spelt Muffins

I could tell you yet again about how easily I tire of the same old breakfasts.  The rotation of yogurt with assorted toppings, oatmeal with assorted toppings, and smoothies punctuated by the occasional meal of eggs and toast.

I could tell you of my overwhelming love of anything bread.  I used to work in a bread bakery during high school and I ate more than my fair share of our products.  I'm still a sucker for a muffin or quick bread, stealing pieces all day long to snack.

I could tell you I've been a coconut fiend the past year, consuming at least my body weight in shredded coconut, coconut water, coconut oil, and - my newest find - coconut butter.  Just skip the Malibu, please.  It doesn't count as coconut.

I could tell you I've been trying to continue eating somewhat healthy.  Let's not go overboard, I'm still eating some very unhealthy things.  But if I can make my breakfast a wee bit healthier while still keeping it delicious, why not do it?  Plus I'll feel so darn virtuous for eating a homemade and healthy muffin instead of a sugary monster muffin from the store.  And that's a lovely way to start my day.

But what I really want to tell you is that these muffins are awesome.  They're a cinch to make, they taste wonderful, and they are genuinely good for you.  Spelt flour, the health star in these muffins, is increasingly easy to find in well-stocked grocery stores and health food stores.  Once you try spelt muffins, I promise you'll be hooked on this ancient grain.

Strawberry Coconut Spelt Muffins

from Inspired Edibles (get the original recipe here)

Makes 12 muffins...which freeze rather well

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups spelt flour

1 cup extra thick rolled oats (not quick cooking)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/3 cup turbinado sugar

1 egg, lightly whisked

3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup chopped strawberries (if using frozen, thaw)

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup coconut milk (if it is from a carton, use unsweetened)

1/4 cup  + 2 tbsp. shredded coconut (unsweetened or sweetened, depending on your preferences)

Preparation:

Heat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit.

In a large bowl, combine the spelt flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and 2 tbsp. of shredded coconut, stirring well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, olive oil, vanilla, orange juice, and coconut milk.  Add the chopped strawberries, mixing gently to combine.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined.  Equally divide the batter among 12 paper-lined (or well-greased) muffin cups.  Sprinkle the remaining shredded coconut on top and cook for  15 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned and spring back when touched.  Allow to cool for a few minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a rack until completely cool.  Alternately, if you don't have a cooling rack, you can balance the muffins on the top of the muffin pan, allowing as much air to reach the muffins as possible.  You don't want soggy bottomed muffins!  

If you'd like to freeze muffins, wrap individually in plastic wrap and store together in a freezer-quality plastic bag.  The night before eating, remove from the freezer and set on the counter to come to room temperature.  You can pop it in the microwave for 15 seconds or so remove any lingering chill.

Notes:

--Spelt is an ancient wheat species.  It has a lower gluten content than wheat, making it slightly easier for many people to digest.  It also has a higher protein content and a larger variety of nutrients compared to wheat.  Spelt has a mild natural sweetness, a slightly nutty flavor and creates a light, soft, and silky texture when used in baked goods.

--Because of its lower gluten content, you may not be able to swap wheat flour for spelt flour in some baked goods that require the structure and sturdiness created by gluten.  In these cases, try blending the two flours together 50%-50%.

--I found a small bag of spelt flour at my local health food store and at Whole Foods.  Check the healthy/whole/organic food section at a well-stocked grocery store, and there's a good chance you'll find it.

--These muffins have a tendency to mold quickly (about 3-5 days) in humidity or heat.  So eat quickly, share, or freeze.

--There are several other recipes for spelt muffins on the Inspired Edibles blog...

Fig, Apple and Oat Spelt Muffins - an unsual combo, though if fresh figs aren't available or aren't your thing, you could swap the fresh figs in the recipe with dried figs.  If you do so, rehydrate the dried figs in apple juice or cider.

Blueberry Banana Spelt Muffins - the classic blueberry muffin gets even more healthy with banana (a natural sweetener) and spelt flour.  I added a pinch of ground cardamom for some extra flavor.  These were a huge hit with my coworkers.

Thoroughly Addicitive Apple and Cheddar Scones

I can admit to you that, as a youth, I did not like cheese.  I ate hamburgers, not cheeseburgers, even from McDonald's.  At family parties, I avoided those strange-smelling cubes of cheese as scrupulously as I avoided the raw veggie tray.  I bemoaned the stench of the blue cheese ever present on my mother's salads.  The only cheese format acceptable to my decidedly finicky (i.e. frustratingly picky) palate was thoroughly melted in either grilled cheeses or mac and cheese, which I maintained was only edible if it was made:  A) from the blue box and B) by my mother.  I can't even fathom how crazy and how annoying my food preferences must have been to my parents.  I apologize, Mom and Dad and all my relatives.  I'll make up for lost time, I promise!

Since my anti-cheese attitude lasted far too long (all the way through college), you can understand why I'd never tried the classic combination of apples + cheddar.  Never. Even as my interest in food and cooking developed, even as I was curious about all the flavors I'd never tasted, even as I started to eat cheese by itself, I still resisted apples + cheddar.  It must've been a remnant of my anti-cheese days.

Then I met Smitten Kitchen. Deb promised these apple and cheddar scones would be addictive.  Plus, I wasn't going to the extreme of having unmelted cheddar and apple...so it stood a better chance of success.

It turns out, these scones are addictive. Even if you've never had apple and cheddar before in your life.  They're addictive enough that you make a few batches in a row, because you can't get enough.  And you start to wonder if there are other combinations of apple and cheddar that could pass muster...  Perhaps a pie crust a la Alton Brown?

Apple and Cheddar Scones
from Smitten Kitchen (get the original recipe with Deb's marvelous writing and photography here) 
Makes 6 large scones, which are at their very best directly out of the oven and quite good for 1-2 days after.

Ingredients:
2 firm tart apples (I prefer Honeycrisp and Braeburn, which aren't exactly tart. Oh well.)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading dough
1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 1/2 tbsp. for sprinkling
1/2 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt, plus a pinch for the egg wash
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (please shred your own, it is so worth it here) (white is recommended for aesthetics)
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 large eggs

Preparation:
Position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees Farenheit.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Peel and core your apples, then cut into 1/16th-inch chunks.  Place in a single layer on the lined baking sheet and bake about 20 minutes, until they take on a little bit of light brown coloring and feel dry to the touch.  I know, this sounds finicky, but you're reducing the overall moisture content of the scone, so it will turn out crumbly and perfect instead of gloppy.  Gloppy doesn't sound good, does it?  So gently dry out your apples!

Meanwhile...

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.  Sprinkle your chilled butter chunks on top and use either a pastry blender, forks, two knives, or your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour mixture.  You want a shaggy consistency, with a few larger pieces of butter (pea-sized or smaller) and many more small pieces of butter.  I find it best to pinch a quantity of dry goods + butter between my fingers and thumb, then drag my thumb across the row of my fingers.  

Add the baked apple chunks, shredded cheddar, cream, and 1 egg to your shaggy flour + butter mixture.  Stir until just combined.  Don't overmix.

Generously flour your countertop and place your dough on top of it.  Sprinkle with more flour.  Using your hands to gently pat or a rolling pin to gently roll your dough out into a 6-inch circle, about 1 1/4-inches thick. Cut into 6 wedges and transfer each to a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between scones.

Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl and brush on top of each scone.  Sprinkle liberally with granulated sugar; it'll bake into a crunchy crust.  Bake until firm and golden, about 30 minutes.  Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool for at least 10 minutes before eating.  If you can wait that long.

Notes:

As I mentioned, these are at their absolute best directly out of the oven.  Well, if you can wait 10-15 minutes for them to cool a bit, that's probably better, but it will be challenging.  If you'd like to reheat your scone before enjoying, I'd suggest a toaster oven or oven to preserve the crisp crust of sugar and egg wash.

I've found that after 2 days, regardless of storage method, these scones lose a lot of their winning points - they're much less crunchy and their interiors are turning mushy (especially the apples).  So eat them quickly. And make more soon.

Apple Pie for A Birthday

When I asked my friend Manning (well, it's actually Eric's friend from college who has become my friend too) a few years ago what I could bake him for his birthday, he asked for Dutch apple pie.  Expecting an entirely different response, like "a cake", I was surprised.

This isn't the first apple pie I've baked.  I spent years apprenticing at my grandma's table, learning how to crimp the edges just so.  Then I tried my hand, dabbling with a Martha Stewart recipe here and an Alton Brown recipe there.  It turns out, I'm like Goldilocks when it comes to apple pie recipes.  Nothing is just right.  Each recipe has its own pros and cons -- too much crust, too much sugar, double crust instead of crumble topping, a splash of apple cider vinegar for a tart surprise...

This year, as I made Manning's birthday pie, I cobbled together multiple recipes (Alton's classic pie crust, Martha's filling with a splash of apple cider vinegar a la Alton, and a crumble topping inspired by both Martha and Deb Perelman but totally improvised by me) to create what I dare claim is my best pie to date.

Oh don't worry.  I'll keep searching for an apple pie that is just right.  It's the chase that's fun, after all.  Well, that and the eating part.


Dutch Apple Pie a la Ashley
Crust recipe from Alton Brown, Filling recipe adapted from Martha Stewart (with a splash of Alton Brown), Crumble recipe loosely adapted from Martha Stewart and Deb Perelman
Makes 1 pie

In case you're wondering why I made two pies, it's because my father had not-so-subtly hinted he wanted a plain old apple pie for Christmas (even though he'd been steadily diminishing our supply of Christmas cookies for weeks).  

Ingredients:

For the crust:

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled

2 tbsp. lard or shortening, chilled

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling the dough

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup ice water

optional - use 2 tbsp. plain vodka, then use ice water for any remaining liquid needed

For the filling:

Approximately 3 pounds of baking apples (I prefer Honeycrisp, Braeburn, MacIntosh, Jonathan, and Granny Smith.  A mix is even better for flavor and texture.)

1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp. all-purpose flour

3 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tbsp. light brown sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cardamom

1/8 tsp. salt

optional:  about 1/4 tsp. ground grains of paradise

For the crumble topping:

1 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp. light brown sugar
3 tbsp. turbinado/raw sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/8 tsp. salt
10 tbsp. (11/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes and softened to room temperature

Preparation:

For the crust:

Place butter and lard/shortening in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.  Keep them there until ready to use.

Meanwhile, combine the flour and salt in a food processor.  Pulse 4 times to mix everything well.  Add the chilled butter chunks and pulse 5 times, so the texture looks mealy, with still recognizable pieces of butter the size of peas visible.  Add the chilled lard/shortening and pulse 4 times, so that the texture now looks more like a very rough cornmeal.  

Now pay attention!  Add 2-3 tbsp. of your ice water (or, if using the vodka, add 2 tbsp. vodka and 1 tbsp. ice water) to the bowl, sprinkling it to cover as much of the surface as possible.  Pulse 5 times.  Wait for 1 minute before testing your dough.  Seriously, just wait a moment. It'll keep you from adding too much liquid too quickly.  Continue to add ice water in 1-2 tbsp. increments (add, pulse, wait 1 minute, check consistency) until the dough holds together when squeezed.  Stop adding liquid before the dough becomes sticky/tacky; if you already went there, add a bit more flour (about 1 tbsp. increments) sprinkled around the top.  

Transfer the dough to a sheet of cling wrap and press it into a roughly disc-like shape and wrap tightly in the cling wrap.  Store in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.  This allows the flour to hydrate and rechills the fats, which makes for a tender and flaky crust when cooked. (Psst - now is a good time to get started on the filling and the crumble!)

I had to be resourceful and use a wine bottle as
my rolling pin.
Wine bottle is NOT to be confused with the "home security device"
French rolling pin we have at our apartment. 

After the dough disc is chilled, set it on the counter.  I like to sandwich it between two pieces of wax paper when rolling, but you can also go direct contact with counter and rolling pin, sprinkling flour as needed to reduce sticking.  Roll the dough out to a 10-11 inch circle (slightly larger than your 9 inch pie plate).  I find turning the dough a quarter-turn every time helps maintain a relatively even thickness and circular shape.

Transfer the dough circle to your pie plate, using gentle pressure to mold the dough to the pan.  If you're feeling fancy, crimp the edges.  If you're feeling minimalist, just trim away excess dough for a flat edge even with the pie plate.  Dock the dough with a fork.  Store in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the pie.

"Hi!"

Preparation (continued):

For the filling:

Peel and core apples, then cut into roughly 1/4 - 1/2 inch slices.  

In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with the remaining filling ingredients until evenly coated.  

Preparation (continued):

For the crumble topping:

In a medium bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (oats, sugars, flour, spices) until thoroughly mixed.  Add the butter and use either a fork, pastry cutter, or your fingertips to work the butter into the mixture.  It should be the texture of coarse meal, with no visible pieces of butter and nearly every oat moistened with butter.

Preparation (continued):

For assembly and baking:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.

Remove the pie plate containing your docked pie dough from the refrigerator.  Pour the apple filling into the pie plate, distributing evenly with your hands.  Gently spoon or place handfuls of the crumble mixture on top, trying to evenly cover the apples without compressing the crumble.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the crust and crumble topping are lightly golden brown and the filling is bubbling.  Allow to cool 10 minutes before cutting a piece and serving with vanilla ice cream.  Even better, have a piece cold for breakfast the next morning.  

Happy Birthday, Manning!

Good Things - Holidays 2012

Random good things from the past few weeks...

By happy chance, I discovered a fantastic spice store in a nearby market -- Colonel De.  Jars line shelves above and below the counter, filled with every imaginable spice, dried herb, flavored sugar, flavored salt, pepper, and spice blend.  I was, quite literally, a kid in a candy store.  Their most adorable offerings were samplers packaged in miniature tins, like this flavored sugar kit.  I can't wait to go back for their Some Like It Hot kit to taste different dried peppers and spicy blends!

Trader Joe's continues to rock my socks off.  Pomegranate arils already removed from the pomegranate?  Yes, please!  I've been adding the juicy seeds to everything, but my favorite dishes so far are an improvised pumpkin parfait (pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, spices, chocolate granola, and pomegranate arils) or atop baked pumpkin oatmeal with maple syrup.

This salad has also been knocking my socks off recently - lacinato kale, granny smith apple, feta or goat cheese crumbles, pomegranate arils, and a mustardy, vinagery vinaigrette.  Since I'm still coming to terms with salads, the fact that I've enjoyed this salad 3 times last week is saying something.

I'd read about a set of four mini bottles of bitters in Bon Appetite and kept my acquisitive eye out for them.  I actually found these two quality kits at Anthropologie, of all places.  In the two sets from Scrappy's Bitters, there are both traditional flavors for bitters (orange, aromatics, celery) and some more unusual ones (lavender, caradamom).  No cocktails with them yet, though I couldn't resist sampling a few flavors with seltzer water.  The lavender is going to make for a killer lavender daquiri, inspired by one I enjoyed at The Winds restaurant in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

Granola.  It's almost a niche market anymore, one that I'd avoided for a few years in search of balance.  See, I went to a rather liberal school...where some people might be labeled with the term granola.  So it just felt over the top to actually eat granola.  Then I rediscovered how dang tasty granola + yogurt is.  Follow that with Sprouted Kitchen's recipe for lemon cremes with thyme-oat crumble (it's granola in disguise, people!), and I was hooked again.

Best of all?  I can make my own granola.  For a lot less money, using only the ingredients I want to eat.  This is the second batch I've made in the last few months.  It's pumpkin pecan granola from The Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook, which is filled with so many tasty AND healthy recipes I actually want to eat.  

Coming sometime in the near future....David Leibovitz's persimmon cake!

Since I didn't have time to make it before Christmas, I frugally peeled and pureed my uber-ripe persimmons and stored them in the freezer.  I love the vibrant orange of persimmon!

Our New Year's Eve spread included the standard snacks (pretzels, salt and pepper chips), leftover tapas from a family shindig (piquillo peppers stuffed with manchego, herb and olive oil marinated feta, crudites), a full plate of Christmas cookies and candies (see the full list!), and a roasted pork tenderloin seasoned with smoked paprkia.  I roasted my first full tenderloin, people!  I even brined it for a few hours beforehand, another first for me!  It turned out moist and tender, perfectly cooked through because - get this - I used a meat thermometer! Bam, bam, bam, I started off 2013 kicking ass in the kitchen, if I do say so myself.

To go with the pork, I made one of Eric's favorites - oven roasted potatoes seasoned with salt, cumin, and chile pepper.  And sitting next to that, looking somewhat questionable, is one of the most delicious regional dishes ever to come from Cincinnati.  Skyline Chili Dip.  It's a layer of cream cheese on the bottom, topped with Skyline's famous Cincinnati-style chili from a can (it's a rather liquid chili, with miniscule pieces of meat and no bean, characterized by its use of chocolate) and lots of cheese.  Add chopped onion and Skyline's hot sauce after warming in the oven and you have some serious crack dip.  Well, I do mean crack.  Even after I ate dinner, I was still shoveling tortilla chip after tortilla chip of Skyline dip into my greedy little mouth. Mmmmmm...

(disclaimer: Eric refuses to acknowledge the glory that is Skyline Chili, claiming the actual chili is awful.  I have to agree, if you're eating it as a bowl of chili.  But on top of spaghetti (Cincy's three way, four way, or five way meals) or on top of a hot dog (coney style), it's amazing.)

(I also admit to eating Skyline's hot sauce on nearly everything.  Seriously.)

Adaptable Oatmeal

You might have noticed: oatmeal is infinitely adaptable.  It takes to nearly any flavor you throw at it.  Since I dislike eating the same thing for breakfast every day, oatmeal offers the opportunity to keep my breakfast fresh and delicious.  And when you use a package of instant oatmeal (or some old-fashioned or steel-cut oats you prepared and have stored in the refrigerator, ready to be reheated each morning), it's so darn easy to heat and add ingredients in.  Here are some of my recent favorite combinations:

With almond milk, raspberries, strawberries, slivered almonds, chia seeds, and cocoa nibs.

With coconut milk, blueberries, peaches, cardamom, and dark chocolate covered pomegranate seeds.

With coconut milk, roasted peanuts, banana, cocoa nibs, and dark chocolate peanut butter 

(aka heaven in a jar).

With dark chocolate peanut butter, bananas, walnuts, and cinnamon.

With coconut milk, strawberry-chia seed jam, banana slices, slivered almonds, and coconut flakes.

With pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and raspberries.

What is your favorite way to enjoy oatmeal?