Eat, Make, Read’s photo
I came across this creamed corn with gorgonzola recipe on Eat, Make, Read, and had to make it. Luckily, Lowell had summer corn frozen in his freezer. But I had already planned on making pizza. Which led to the best summer (I know it’s not summer) pizza toppings of all time. I used Mark Bittman’s simple pizza dough recipe to make dough that only needed one or two hours to rise (although it contains no whole wheat). It wasn’t as easy and perfect as I wanted it to be (do I really need to invest in a pizza stone????). I’m still looking for THE pizza dough recipe. I baked it with tomatoes and finally topped with the gorgonzola creamed corn, toasted pecans, and fresh basil.
Recipes after:
Savory Butternut Squash Fritters (adapted from this sweet fritter recipe)
1 medium butternut squash, cooked (halved or cubed; roasted, boiled, etc)
1/2 c whole wheat flour
2 eggs
1/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 t fresh black pepper
2 T butter
fresh sage
1. Mush the butternut squash with the flour, eggs, baking soda, salt, and pepper.
2. Melt some butter in a pan at medium heat. Place some sage leaves in the butter.
3. Spoon balls of squash fritter dough into the pan of hot butter. Cook for 4 mins or so until the bottom browns. Flip and fry the other side.
Meanwhile, Black Bleans: Fry some onions in a touch of oil and a hearty sprinkle of cumin until onions are slightly browned. Combine with a can of black beans and some canned jalepeños.
!Top Squash fritters with a scoop of black beans and a sprinkling of goat cheese. And don’t forget about the sage leaves!
Make enough to save some for breakfast…
—–
Leftover Squash Fritters for breakfast!
We refried the black beans the next morning to have with our reheated fritters, fried eggs, and cheese and jalepeño tamales (from a shop). As a breakfast dessert, we finally covered a squash fritter w/ cinnamon sugar as a sweet treat. It was a phenomenal breakfast.
On our last night in Georgia we hiked to Lagodekhi Natural Reserve (whose “sister park” is Grand Teton-a favorite of mine). As we passed through town a woman offered us a room at her guesthouse. She was the sweetest lady, and she reminded Olga of her Ukranian grandmother. The home was simple and straightforward, and her front yard was full of fig trees and heavy, ripe grape vines. We worked up an appetite hiking and came home to the most delicious dinner in this kitchen-meat cutlets, fried potatoes, tomato and cucumber salad, bread, fresh cheese, grapes, watermelon, and homemade wine. We asked her to eat with us, but she apologized and excused herself to watch her favorite soap on TV. We showered and slept, preparing to cross the border into Azerbaijan the next day.
Olga fought for half an hour to purchase our train tickets at the lit windows along the back of the Baku train station. There was some order to the chaos which I did not understand at all, so I just stood back and watched in awe as Olga bullied and pushed her way to the front of the window. This was customary, not rude, but it was shocking to me as I’ve never seen Olga push her way in front of a field mouse.
Nonetheless, we were soon on the overnight train to Tbilisi, Georgia. Anyone I mentioned Georgia to mentioned the food, which I took as a very good sign. One of the first things we did upon arrival was eat. We were quickly schooled in the staples of Georgian cuisine: tomato and cucumber salad w/ walnut sauce, khinkali (like large meaty soup dumplings) and khachapuri (cheesey bread). The khinkali was delicious, but people were putting away 5 or 6 pieces, and they kept encouraging us to keep up! And I enjoyed the khachapuri, but the cheese is pretty intense, and I think I’m set for a lifetime. After that meal, I don’t think I felt hungry again in Georgia (and my stomach was quite confused). However, Georgians are notoriously hospitable, and we were treated (forced?) to many more Georgian meals. The tables at every meal were also covered in bottles of wine, mineral water, and tarragon lemonade. I’m still recovering with water and oatmeal.
Khinkali:
Khachapuri:
Scott and Amanda and their animal portraits are the coolest cats in Pensacola. We ate delicious chili and cupcakes in their rad East Hill home. Ask cool strangers to dinner. It’s a nice thing to do. I want to remember that when I have a home. Scott blogs music, and also, they’re getting married in less than 30 days.
I like polenta. It’s super easy to make (boil in water, add butter and cheese), however, for the lazy traveler, you can buy it in a premade tube, cut slices and grill ‘em up for an fast and delicious meal. I found a tube of quinoa polenta (regular cornmeal polenta with the added bonus of quinoa). I added it to chili and eggs for dinner and to eggs and pesto for breakfast. For the unlazy traveler, try homemade polenta soft or hard.
I’m loving having a kitchen in Miami! Without it I would definitely be eating a very unhealthy amount of yucca, maduros, and pastelitos.
I don’t really consider this recipe to be ratatouille, but it is a delicious mound of veggies, so I’ll go with it.
This dish is filled with thin slices of eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, red onion, and bell peppers and drizzled layers of yummy sauce (olive oil/fresh peeled tomato/garlic in a blender). I added whatever spices I had on hand that smelled Italian (rosemary, parsley, marjoram, thyme). The sauce is a keeper as an easy-to-remember simple and flavorful sauce, but I did miss the stewed tomatoes in this style of “ratatouille.”
This photo is Alex’s
Once upon a time I made a promise that I would be with my family for Thanksgiving no matter what. I would spend my last dime to get home and tell all my other obligations to screw off. I have broken this promise three times (no, not in a row!). The first, I was overseas, and I attempted to make my own Thanksgiving in a country that doesn’t have turkey or pumpkin. And, I had invited over a vegan. Let’s just say it wasn’t the same. These last two years I have been on the road, traveling with coworkers and friends and as we’ve been open to new people and places every single day, we’ve been open to new families, new foods, and new traditions for Thanksgiving. I still love my mom’s Thanksgiving best, but I’m in awe of the hospitality I’ve experienced when I couldn’t be home for turkey day (Thanks Megan and Family!). Hopefully I remember this when I have a home to invite people to. This year I’m thankful to have tried chicken and dumplings. Oh. Man.
(more…)
Filed under: Cook it | Tags: autumn, dinner, eggs, food, squash, veggies, Wichita
Autumn in Wichita has meant corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and a multitude of squash dinners. One night we ate this Spaghetti Squash and Chard Gratin recipe as written (switching out the chard for kale). It was yummy, and because it was a casserole it felt very midwest, which is very fitting.
Another evening Nina and Sara roasted a whole chicken and acorn squash. They filled the chicken with a lemon, sage, and s+p and rubbed butter, garlic, and sage on the skin. Then, into a baking pan went yams, red potatoes, onions, apples, vegetable broth and the chicken. This they roasted for approximately 1 1/2 hr. The squash was halved and roasted in tinfoil with some water for 40 mins. They then filled the middles with butter and brown sugar and roasted for another 10 mins. Devine.
However, for me, the epitome of autumn food is the butternut squash. And if you’re eating butternut squash, you should most definitely be eating it with sage, caramelized onions, some delightful soft cheese (goat, gorgonzola), and maybe some pear or walnuts. That go-to combination can work in pasta, on a whole wheat pizza or on its glorious lonesome. We made it into a scramble. It was the best scramble I’ve ever had, and I don’t take eggs lightly. This is definitely going to be an autumnal special at my future breakfast cafe. Recipe below. Sara whipped up a side salad of spinach, dried cranberries, pears, and pistachio nuts (with a dressing of balsamic, olive oil, mustard, and maple syrup). And Nina whipped up some oatmeal cookies for dessert!
Scramble recipe follows
Filed under: Places to Eat | Tags: colorado, colorado springs, dinner, restaurants
Colorado Springs, Co, at 6000ft high, wasn’t the best place for my running. But that didn’t interfere with my hunt for the best food in town. It had a lot to live up to following Paonia’s produce, but for a small city, it provided a few tasty surprises.
Alex found Jack Quinn’s when he wanted to catch a soccer match. I hit it up when I was craving shepherd’s pie (yeah, it happens!). It serves Irish comfort food, it reminds Alex of Irish pubs in Spain (clean, wooden, green), and it plays football from Ireland and beyond. When I arrived, I wanted more veggies than flesh, so I went for the cottage pie (veggie and barley stew topped with mashed potatoes and cheddar) and Murphy’s Red.
The most important question I ask locals in any town is, “Where is your favorite place to eat breakfast?” This has been known to result in a diatribe about how they never eat breakfast or an ihop recommendation, and I graciously back away. Many times it leads to absolute gems. We first went to Adam’s Mountain Cafe for breakfast. The buckwheat pancakes were simple and sweet and delicious. Then KRCC (public radio with great music!) gifted us some gift certificates, and we returned for dinner. It was a treat, a splurge, a delight. We feasted on 2 appetizers (chick pea cakes w/ tahini sauce; crositini w/ fig, goat cheese, caramelized onions, candied walnuts, and pear); harvest crepes with butternut squash; barramundi w/ cashew coconut curry; Alaskan cod with leek/goat cheese sauce and swiss chard; and finally, tiramisu and chocolate cake.
Finally, if you can’t go to Shuga’s in Coloardo Springs, at least you can go to their website. It alone sold me on Shuga’s. The soup and sandwich fare was good, the drinks were fancy, but the young and cool vibe was just fun on a Saturday night.
Also enjoyed, Raven’s Nest Coffee, Smiley’s Bakery and Cafe, Taste of Jerusalem Cafe, and Poor Richard’s cafe/bookstore/toystore.
