looks we like: november
Here’s our monthly list of “looks” we liked for November!
Read MoreHere’s our monthly list of “looks” we liked for November!
Read MoreWhen the fresh cranberries first hit the shelves I couldn’t resist buying a massive bag at Costco. But besides plans for fresh cranberry-orange relish for the Thanksgiving table, and cranberry orange muffins of course, I didn’t have many more fresh cranberry recipes up my sleeve... and yet there were still pounds of cranberries in the fridge.
Enter this delightful cranberry crunch.
Read MoreWhere we’d usually post our recipe round-up at the end of the month, we thought you might appreciate an archive dive for Thanksgiving recipes along with what we’ve discovered this month.
Read Morefriend of mine and I put on a fancy Friendsgiving feast for some of our close friends - “fancy” because we tried to pick out-of-the-ordinary dishes and flavor combinations and then plated and served all the courses. There were 14 adults so it was a bit of work! But thankfully most of the work was upfront and we were able to prep and cook everything and have it ready to go. So it wasn’t actually stressful or rushed at all - it was fun and even a bit of a rush!
I was happy to use this as an occasion to get a pie post up on the blog so I took charge of the soup and dessert course. We were going for a loosely inspired Southern-themed menu and since I knew chess pie is classic Southern but I also really wanted something chocolate, I settled on chocolate chess pie. As a further nod to the south I decided to accent it with a bourbon whipped cream and a salty caramel pecan crunch. And a little dollop of a smooth ganache just to make it that much more chocolatey.
Read MoreThis is a Pakaluk family favorite. Marrying into the Barrows family brought about making it with a graham cracker crust. It’s a happy marriage.
Read MoreOk I can’t lie. I was conflicted about sharing this recipe with you. It was tasty, yes. Would I make it again? Not sure. (To be fair, this is the second time I’ve made it - I won a pie contest with this tart last year…!) The crust wasn’t my favorite. It was yummy, but … well … I would prefer a pie crust. But I really wanted to give you guys a gluten free option. The custard was a little too rich for me, too. But my husband LOVED it. If you know me, you know that I’m a hopeless, helpless second guesser. I don’t make decisions easily and I question myself after almost every move. So when it didn’t turn out as awesome delicious perfect as I imagined it would, I basically crumpled into a despairing heap. And I decided I wouldn’t blog about it, because I didn’t think it was amazing and I wouldn’t make it again.
But after a few hours - and my husband’s very positive reviews - I started to rethink my approach. It wasn’t a disaster. It wasn’t a disappointment. It wasn’t gross. It tasted good and had a great creamy texture with a nutty crust. The fact that it wasn’t my favorite didn’t seem a reason not to post it. I’ll note what I would change, but otherwise, here it is!
Read MoreEasy as pie. Who in the world came up with that?! I’m not sure. But I feel they must never have made one. In my baking experience at least, I have never, ever said: “Oh, this ol’ pie? I just whipped it up right before dinner.” No way. How would my crust have been chilled? How could my pie have set? IT ISN’T POSSIBLE! Cake on the other hand….
Read MoreAs beautiful as all that pie art is, it might be missing the point.
I’ve been making my blueberry pie out of the Joy of Cooking for oh so many years now, and, returning to the recipe this year, I was struck by the wisdom I found in the introduction to fruit pies:
Read MoreThe round-up of what caught our eyes (or ears) this month:
Read MoreWe recently moved from Florida to Colorado, where my husband is originally from. In fact, we moved back to the same city where he grew up—into the same house he lived from when he was 6 weeks old to 18 years and heading off to college.
That’s right. We’ve moved in with his parents while we work on getting a new venture off the ground.
Read MoreIt’s November! Pause for a second and let that blow your mind. Also, momentarily freak out about having less than 8 weeks until Christmas and then remember you have almost 8 weeks and Amazon so there’s nothing to worry about.
Read MoreI can’t believe I’m only just getting this recipe into a blog post. I think it’s because its one of those dishes we have so often that I throw it together without even thinking. You’d think that would make an easy write up, but it ends up being really tricky to sit down and list out the precise ingredient quantities and directions for a process which has become reflexive and automatic. Nevertheless, for you, dear readers, I have made the effort.
This recipe was given to me in a simpler form. Over the years I have tweaked it here and there to our tastes. It’s simple, budget friendly, packed with flavor, feeds a crowd or makes multiple meals, … what more can you ask for? I hope you’ll take it and tweak it here and there and over time make it yours!
Read MoreKiera Knightly was in the news recently over her comments about Disney princesses. Basically, there are some stories she’ll allow in the house, and some that she won’t. Some send a message she wants her daughter to hear, and others don’t.
I’m not going to comment on Kiera Knightly’s remarks right now. They are obviously controversial, otherwise they wouldn’t be making headlines. But the topic brought together some thoughts I’ve had over the past few weeks, and I’m wondering if I can tease out some sort of theme.
Read MoreIt’s nearing the end of October. Crazy! Here are the recipes we tried and which got our stamp of approval:
Read MoreI find shaping bread so much fun. Fresh baked bread is always a crowd pleaser, but with just a teeny bit more time & effort, it becomes an absolute showstopper. This Fall, I dreamed up a harvest themed board with pumpkin and leaf shaped breads.
Read MoreToday, we’re introducing “looks we like,” a line up of some things that caught our eye, including beauty tutorials, fashion finds, new hair-dos, home decor, diy projects, and so much more! And since it’s October, we’re throwing in some fun costume ideas, so check that out below.
Read MoreThis post contains referral links; all opinions expressed are completely our own.
A friend of mine hosted a Cookbook Party this past weekend and the cookbook of choice was Nigella Lawson’s “Nigella Kitchen”. She’s such a charming personality - so effortlessly beautiful, so at ease and likeable - but I haven’t actually cooked many of her recipes so I didn’t know what to expect for this dinner. I chose the Risotto Bolognese because I never spend the time on a good bolognese or a good risotto; a recipe that killed both those birds with one stone seemed pretty ideal to me.
This is not a quick and easy recipe. It’s not difficult, but it’s definitely the kind of cooking saved for when you want to be a cook, not a mom throwing dinner on the table in the hectic early hours of evening. The bolognese sauce requires some work up front and then a low-and-slow cook in the oven; the rice gets slowly cooked in the sauce (with the addition of more broth) for a total of about 2 hours. That last bit requires constant stirring, but the resulting dish is well worth the effort. The bolognese is so rich and flavorful and the rice has the perfect texture of firm but yielding. This is comfort food at its sophisticated best.
The other meals at the party included pumpkin parmesan scones, panzanella, creamy tarragon chicken, and chicken with chorizo and potatoes, just to name a few. (I won’t even get started on the desserts … no, really, I can’t … but just let me say CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CHEESCAKE. Ok, I’m done. But oh my gosh it was so good.) I thought all the dishes were really good (although I have to say I was puzzled by the omission of salt in many of her recipes) and definitely within the realm of practical home cooking.
Nigella’s engaging personality comes through even her simplest instructions. My adaptation of her recipe below will have neither her charm nor her abundance of other good recipes, the kind you can turn to when you need reliably good and flavorful results. I recommend purchasing a copy of her cookbook Nigella Kitchen for your cookbook collection!
feeds 6 as a main and 8-10 as a side
Ingredients
1 onion, chopped roughly
1 onion, peeled and chopped roughly
1 celery stalk, chopped roughly
1 clove garlic
a handful of parsley
1/2 lb bacon, chopped roughly
4 anchovy fillets or 1 tsp anchovy paste (can skip)
3 Tbsp butter (+ 1 Tbsp extra for later)
8 oz ground beef
1/3 cup dry marsala
14-oz can diced tomatoes, processed into a puree
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp whole milk
2 quarts veal broth, divided into 2 cups and 6 cups (I used roasted beef broth)
2 large bay leaves or 4 smaller ones
2 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
Instructions
Combine the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, parsley, bacon, and anchovy (paste) in a food processor and process on low until into a chunky paste.
Preheat the oven to 300. In a large dutch oven or pot with a heavy lid, heat the 3 Tbsp butter with a splash of olive oil over medium heat. Cook the pasty onion bacon mixture until soft, stirring, about 5-8 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring and breaking up, until the meat is cooked through. Stir in the marsala. Add the pureed diced tomatoes, the milk, 2 cups broth, and the bay leaves. Stir while the mixture comes to a boil. Once boiling, cover with lid and put in the oven to cook for 1 hour.
A little before the hour is up, warm the remaining broth over low heat. Take the meat mixture out of the oven and remove the bay leaves. Keep over low heat. Add the rice in along with a ladleful of broth, stirring constantly until the broth has been absorbed and the mixture thickened. Add another ladleful of broth and repeat, always stirring. Keep repeating this process until the rice is cooked through. The rice should be yielding with the slightest bit of resistance - not mushy but not crunchy. You might not use all the broth but keep in mind that the rice will continue to absorb as it sets. You’re going for a balance between soupy and clumpy.
Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan, then the extra tablespoon of butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
*Nigella recommends forming any cold leftovers into patties and frying them up in a well oiled griddle until hot and crispy. I did this for dinner the day after and served them topped with a fried egg on crusty bread. It was fantastic!
Cornbread is close to my heart. I have so many memories of going to Boston Market, hashing out an absurd amount of cornbread for myself. I’m sure I wished I was allowed to eat a whole meal of it (but then, also a meal of mashed potatoes too….). And while I haven’t been in a Boston Market for years, cornbread has remained a great love. And for me, when I say cornbread I mean soft, moist, and sweet (i.e. Northern style) cornbread.
Read MoreSimply Divine Carrot Soup is simple, and divine. Carrots, onions, garlic, a splash of white wine, broth, salt and pepper, and heavy cream combine into a silky smooth soup that lets the carrots shine.
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