Sunday Suppers- Ladies Lunch + The Little Flower School

Summer is almost over (it is still sort of lingering here in Tucson) but I still have summery subjects I had wanted to post! So here are some shots taken by the lovely Karen Mordechai of Sunday Suppers. She had asked me to do some menus and signage for a Ladies Lunch that happened back in July. The meal was served alfresco on the rooftop, and everything looked so amazing!

The recipes are available on the Sunday Suppers site, including this one for Chilled Corn Soup. Yum!
The Sunday Suppers class was a two part session: a floral arrangement class by The Little Flower School preceded the cooking class. What an wonderful afternoon this must have been. Lucky participants!

If you're in New York, I would highly recommend checking out the schedule and signing up for your own magical class/dining experience. And even if you're not in NY, be sure to check out the Sunday Suppers site- it is lovely.
All photos by Karen Mordechai.

Hello, Spring!

Hello there, friends! It has been a while since I posted, and it is simply because I'm buried under a bunch of projects, just trying to stay afloat. I can't wait to share photos of some of the things I've been working on with you. For now, below is a photo of the tart I made for Easter morning this year, complete with mint from our garden. I hope you had a wonderful Easter, too! Here's to a refreshing spring, full of newness and growth.

Top photo from Gardening in Heels.

obsession...

I find that I tend to go through obsessive little phases with the things I cook or bake, making the same thing over and over again when I find a great recipe, until we just can't take it anymore. This fall and winter I've been a little (a lot!) fixated on this Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup, a recipe which I stumbled across by accident one day. I tend more towards the savory camp when it comes to butternut soups, so this recipe is just heaven in my book.
Do you have any favorite recipes from these winter months?

So sad.

I was so disappointed to learn yesterday that Gourmet magazine will be closing its doors after nearly 70 years in print. This is my favorite magazine by far, and I will sorely miss it. Nick was asking what the big deal was since all of the recipes can still be found online at Epicurious, and he has a point, but I told him there is just something so satisfying about flipping through an issue, getting inspired, trotting to the kitchen with the recipe, and getting the pages all splattered with the evidence of a meal prepared with love. I'll take actual, tangible cookbooks and glossy issues of Gourmet any day over a recipe I have to print out on computer paper in the office.

Babies and Cake.

My good friend Marianne came over for lunch today with her baby Nathaniel, and we had this raspberry buttermilk cake for dessert. Yum. It was a wonderfully sweet time, and I highly recommend the recipe. I pretty much highly recommend every recipe on the Smitten Kitchen site- by far my favorite cooking blog (after Molly, of course.) Thanks for a wonderful time, Marianne and Nate!
(Photo by Deb of Smitten Kitchen)

impending summer.

I made this blackberry tart a couple of weekends ago based off of Jamie Oliver's recipe, lifted from this great cookbook. Makes me feel almost ready for summer. Almost. You just sort of brace yourself for a summer in Tucson.

Lemon Tart with Pinenut Crust

Okay, I admit it. We stole some lemons. But they were on a huge tree! In the yard of an abandoned house! They were going to go to waste! So we took some, and I made this tart, the recipe found here. This tart is amazing. I could eat it every day for the rest of my life and probably never get tired of it- although I probably wouldn't fit into my favorite jeans anymore. But it might be worth it. And there is something so relaxing about the process of making the sabayon (the filling). Does anyone else find themselves doing some seriously productive pondering while they are baking?

xoxox

I found this vintage postcard in a shop in New York City, and it hangs framed all the year round, but it is especially appropriate for Valentine's Day, don't you think? And it reminds me of Mr. Rogers asking "Won't ya be my neighbor?!" every time I walk by it. So hilarious.
It's been a crazily busy week for me, trying to complete several personal jobs, along with getting all of Hello Handmade's Valentine orders out in the mail. I'm definitely ready for the weekend to start!

I did find time to make another loaf of this lovely bread this week - I'm trying to get into the rhythm of making a loaf every week for our sandwiches, in addition to other bread experiments...I'll keep you posted! My friend Marianne and I went to an enlightening King Arthur Flour Bread Workshop a couple of weekends ago, and I'm more inspired than ever to try to bake all of our own bread. Do you have any bread recipes you are particularly loving right now?

Mmmm...

Perfect for the day after Thanksgiving.....an english muffin with Trader Joe's cranberry apple butter. So addicting.

kettles and slippers....

So shopping for a new tea kettle last week, Nick and I discovered that apparently we are total kettle snobs. Anyway, one long winding drive around town later, we scooped up this lovely Le Creuset and have been drinking tea like crazy, trying to pretend that it is actually below 70 degrees out during the day. (It's sadly not.)
I know it is totally dorky to blog about tea kettles and tea, but while we're on the subject I had to blather on about my favorite tea in the world for just one minute. I first had this tea that summer I spent in Austria, and it is just the best ever. Ever. It was sold at this shop down the street from where I was staying, but happily I discovered that I could buy it online when I got back home! It's the simple pleasures in life that make it sweet, yes?
I've also been wearing these cheery new slippers to try to coax the Tucson weather to turn chilly. No luck yet. Still watering the garden in a tank top. Any other Tucsonans inpatient for cozy weather?!

Salad for Dessert

Before the summer is over, I wanted to post my favorite tomato recipe of this season....last year it was salsa, this year: gazpacho salad. Aside from our friend Ray- who, if given the choice, would seriously opt for any sort of salad for dessert- I really don't know many people that honestly do ravenously crave salad. I eat a lot more of it than most people probably, but sometimes it is primarily because I know it is good for me. Know what I mean? This salad, however, is amazing. I seriously have dreams about this salad. It takes what seems like forever to chop everything up, but it is totally worth it. Can't wait 'til next summer, and our inevitably out-of-control tomato plants, so I can make some more. I'll maybe even join Ray and have it for dessert!
(This photo- and the recipe- from Smitten Kitchen)

Gazpacho Salad
The New Spanish Table

Serves 4

2 1/2 cups cubed day-old dense country bread (1-inch cubes)
2 medium-size garlic cloves, chopped
1 large pinch of coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 small pinch of cumin seeds
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar, preferably aged, or best-quality red wine vinegar, or more to taste
1/3 cup fragrant extra-virgin olive oil
1 2/3 pounds very ripe but firm tomatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 small Kirby (pickling) cucumbers, cored, seeded and diced
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
1/2 cup seedless green grapes, cut in half
About 1/2 cup slivered fresh mint or basil (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake until they are just beginning to turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once. Lead the bread cubes cool.

3. Place the garlic, salt, and cumin in a mortar and, using a pestle, mash them into a paste. Add the vinegar and olive oil and whisk to mix.

4. Place the toasted bread and the tomatoes, cucumbers, Italian pepper, onion, grapes, and mint, if using, in a large bowl and toss to mix. Add the dressing to the salad and toss to combine well. Let the salad stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving to allow the bread to soak up the dressing.

Pomegranate Margaritas

Fabulous recipe for pomegranate margaritas here. Perfect for a summer evening- we thought so, at least!

Chocolate and Pine Nut Tart

Here is a picture of a tart that I made for our anniversary a month ago. I think we decided that we like Molly Wizenberg's chocolate truffle tart better, but it was still a definite treat-both to bake and to consume. Mmm.
Find the recipe here.

Tarts for Every Season

Well I have no idea why I feel the need to post about all these summery foods way after the fact, but I really don't want to let the photos go to waste!

This is the tart I made for Nick on Easter morning this year. This tradition was started last year, on our honeymoon in Paris (!), when Nick went out and brought me back a fresh fruit tart on Easter morning, before we headed to Notre Dame for the Easter service. We decided to make it a tradition--the tart, that is, not Easter in Paris! This was a Bon Appetit-inspired strawberry tart, with an orange-scented, creamy filling. A little too rich for me, but Nick thoroughly enjoyed it!

Well now I am dying to make this Cranberry Chocolate Tart, featured in this month's Bon Appetit. I don't know about those crystallized ginger strips, but the rest of the recipe looks divine. Here is the link!
Cranberry Chocolate Tart

Heaven on a chip...

Well, we don't have any more tomatoes in our yard, but I thought I would post this recipe anyway, as a last salute to summer. This salsa is so completely easy to make, and tastes ten million times better than any store bought one. Can't go wrong with Molly's recipes!

Grilled Tomato Salsa

by Molly Wizenberg

Taken from Orangette

(If you don’t have a grill at the ready, you can achieve the same - or similar - ends with your broiler.)

2 ½ - 3 lb. ripe Roma tomatoes
1 large onion
1 head garlic
1 - 4 jalapeños
2 - 4 lemons or limes, or a mixture of both
½ bunch cilantro
Salt

Preheat your grill. If you’re using a charcoal grill, get it nice and hot.While the grill heats, prepare the vegetables. Rinse the tomatoes, and set them aside. Peel and trim the onion; then cut it in half along its equator. Trim the top off the head of garlic, revealing the tips of the cloves inside; then wrap the entire head in aluminum foil. Rinse the jalapeños, and trim off their stems. If you want a very mild salsa, remove their seeds; otherwise, leave them intact.

Arrange the tomatoes, onion halves, jalapeños, and garlic on the grill. We like to close the lid to help keep it hot, but if you’re using a charcoal grill, this might create a smoky flavor, which you may or may not want. It’s up to you. Either way, let the vegetables cook, turning them once or twice, until they are nicely charred. The onions should be quite blackened on their cut sides, and the jalapeños should be charred. [A tidbit of interest: the more you cook the jalapeños, the less spicy they will be.] The tomato skins will begin to wrinkle a bit and blacken, and some of the tomatoes will split open. Carefully open the foil packet to check the garlic: does it feel soft? If not, return it to the grill until it does.

When the vegetables are ready, transfer them to a large sheet pan, and cool to room temperature. Dump the tomatoes, onion, and 1 jalapeño into the bowl of a large food processor. (Ours is an 11-cup.) Remove the softened cloves from the head of garlic, and add them to the bowl. And add the juice of 2 lemons (or limes), the cilantro, and a good dose of salt. Process to a salsa consistency. Taste, and add more jalapeño, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Taste, and tweak until it is to your liking.Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled before serving.

Currant Obsession...

I have been fairly obsessed with currant scones in recent weeks, and the breakfast scene above is typical of our Saturday mornings lately...the ones pictured are from a Bon Appetit recipe, but our new favorites are the Buttermilk Currant Scones from the Tartine Cookbook I recently received as a birthday gift....I'll try to post the recipe soon!

Chicken Pot Pie

My Beautiful Mother's Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

2 2/3 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 cup shortning

7-8 TBSP. ice water

About two cups of cooked or roasted chicken breast (or thighs if you want darker meat), cut into bite-size chunks. I usually just cook two chicken bone-in breasts.

1 large potato, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks

2 large carrots, cut into bite-size rounds

1 onion

1/3 of a package of frozen peas

4 TBSP. butter

4 TBSP. flour

1 tsp. salt

few shakes of Herbs de Provence or whatever other herb you would like....Rosemary is great

pepper
2 1/4 cups milk

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degress. Make pie crust by stirring the flour and salt together, and then cutting the shortning in with a pastry cutter (or two forks!) The crumbs should be about the size of peas. Add the water, 2 TBSPs at a time, mixing with one hand to combine. Continue combining with your fingers until dough holds together.

Cook the potatoes and carrots in a big pot of boiling water until tender but not falling apart. Add half of a chopped onion a few minutes before they are done. When ready, drain into a colander with the 1/3 of a package of frozen peas waiting in the bottom. The steaming hot vegetables will thaw and cook the little peas just enough.

Make a white sauce by sauteing a chopped half of an onion in 4 TBSPs of butter until transparent. Add the flour, salt, herbs, and pepper and stir until cooked, about 40 seconds. Add the milk and stir until nice and thick.

Roll out the pie dough into two halves....one for the bottom, one for the top.

Mix the white sauce, vegetables, and chicken together, then dump into pie plate draped with one of the pie dough rounds. Cover with other portion of rolled dough, and seal and crimp the edges. Make some slashes in the top, and cover the crust edges with foil. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 35- 40 minutes, removing foil from edges of crust the last 12-15 minutes. Enjoy!

Chilliness and Soup.

The weather is f i n a l l y lovely enough to have our windows open in the evenings, and, for me, this has stirred up the irresistible impulse to go crazy experimenting with soups. The incident last week involving steaming chowder, a sharp left turn, and a milky car has proved to be no deterrent.
Here is the infamous Potato Bacon Soup.

Potato Bacon Chowder

4 large baking potatoes, peeled, chopped into bite size chucks and boiled til fork-pierceable

2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

6 cups milk

1 cup sour cream

1 med. onion chopped small

10 bacon strips cooked and loosely crumbled

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

fresh rosemary

Melt the butter in a deep soup pot over medium heat. Dump in the onions, and cook until translucent. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper, and cook for about a minute. Whisk in the milk and bring just to a boil, then lower the heat and cook, stirring for about 3-4 minutes. Whisk in the sour cream. Mash half of the potatoes and keep the other half intact. Add all potatoes and bacon and cheese and heat until warmed through. Garnish with sprinkles of fresh rosemary.

Serves 6!

For the fellow plum-lovers...

This plum cobbler was an impulsive bake....it happily
turned out to to be the most fantastic marriage of tartness and sweetness.
Taken from www.elise.com/recipes.

PLUM COBBLER

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp of white sugar
10 fresh plums, sliced and seeded - about 4 cups
2 Tbsp corn starch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, combine 3/4 cup white sugar, plums, cornstarch and cinnamon. Place the fruit mixture in a 2-quart casserole. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 2 Tablespoons of sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter in with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk and egg until just moistened. Drop batter on fruit, or if desired, spread batter in stripes. Bake in a 350°F oven for 35 minutes.
Serves 6. Serve with whipped cream (optional).

Death by Namaino Bars...

CHOCOHOLICS:

As requested, here is the recipe for the divinely decadent Namaino Bars, consumed at last night's lovely Reich/Oliver/ Dunlap dinner party! This is taken from joyofbaking.com. Enjoy!

Namaino Bars

INGREDIENTS:

Bottom Layer:
1/2 cup (1 stick) (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
1/3 cup (30 grams) unsweetened cocoa (I use Dutch-processed)
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups (200 grams) graham cracker crumbs
1 cup (65 grams) coconut (either sweetened or unsweetened)
1/2 cup (50 grams) walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped

FILLING:
1/4 cup (56 grams) unsalted

butter, room temperature
2 - 3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder (Bird's) or vanilla pudding powder
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups (230 grams) powdered sugar (confectioners or icing) sugar

TOPPING:
4 ounces (115 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter

METHOD:

Butter (or use a cooking spray) a 9 x 9 inch (23 x 23 cm) pan.
BOTTOM LAYER: In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the sugar and cocoa powder and then gradually whisk in the beaten egg. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens (1 - 2 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract, graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and chopped nuts. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate until firm (about an hour).

FILLING: In your electric mixer cream the butter. Beat in the remaining ingredients. If the mixture is too thick to spread, add a little more milk. Spread the filling over the bottom layer, cover, and refrigerate until firm (about 30 minutes).

TOP LAYER: In a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Spread over the filling and refrigerate.

TO SERVE: To prevent the chocolate from cracking, using a sharp knife, bring the squares to room temperature before cutting.
Yield: Makes about 25 squares