Mini Shepherd’s Pies and Shamrock Ice Cream Tartlets
When March 17 comes around each year, we think of leprechauns, four-leaf clovers and green beer. As kids, it was all about spotting people who weren’t wearing green and giving them a pinch. I remember my own kids watching “The Luck of the Irish” movie a hundred times. In reality, Americans created most of what we associate with St. Patrick’s Day – Green beer, Shamrock Shakes and even corned beef and cabbage. As the saying goes, everybody's Irish on St. Paddy’s Day! I have a special affinity for green, having lived in the Seattle area, which has used "The Emerald City" as its official nickname since 1982; and born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, which is also referred to as the Emerald City. As such (and not a fan of corned beef) I couldn’t let the day pass without sharing recipes for Shepherd’s Pie and a mint chip ice cream dessert.
Spring forward with Pi(e)
It was 64 degrees in the foothills outside of Seattle yesterday. I think spring has sprang or sprung … anyway, it’s here! Unless you live in the Northwest, you may not realize how much we anticipate the first few days of temperatures above 60 degrees. The fleece layer comes off and it’s time for much-welcomed short sleeves and bare ankles. I took one for the team and sat in my Adirondack chair on the front porch and soaked up a good-sized dose of vitamin D. The sunshine was just enough to remind us that yes, sunnier days lie ahead. In the early morning hours of today, March 14, we sprang forward for daylight savings and it’s also Pi Day. How convenient. The convergence of all three of these things definitely warrants some pie. To celebrate, I made my signature Candy Bar Pie, the one I take requests for and am known for in certain circles (you know who you are). And just because it was such a beautiful day, I made a vibrant spring green pizza pie for dinner.
One yolk. One white. The perfect baker’s dozen.
Just another exciting night sitting at home during the pandemic mindlessly scrolling through all the food on my Instagram feed, and a post from @buttermilkbysam jumped out at me. What’s that, you can make a “small batch” of cookies? Who knew? Somehow making a “small batch” lessened my guilt factor or at least there would be a finite amount to devour in one sitting. (This same idea must have been on the mind of whoever it was that decided it would be a good thing to sell a block of pre-scored cookie dough squares. I mean, who hasn’t bought these in a weak moment?) But sitting at home on this particular evening all cozy with no intent of venturing out, the idea of One Yolk, Six Perfect Chocolate Chunk Cookies hooked me. I was in. Time to whip up a small batch. But wait. As I read further, I discovered I could also make One Egg White, Seven Salted Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies. It was brilliant. The perfect baker’s dozen. So perfect, I need to share it with you.
In a Shrimp State of Mind
The promise of spring is just around the corner. My daffodils are pushing themselves up through the soil, the birds have been chirping like crazy and the days are getting noticeably longer. But just to keep us guessing, last week Mother Nature gave us a fresh dusting of snow one morning and a mid-afternoon wintry mix on another day. I want to tell her, it’s too late, you had your chance. I’m ready for summer! This time last year we were lucky enough to be in Cabo taking in magnificent sunrises and sunsets from the same spot on the beach. Our hotel bar made great piña coladas and wherever we went, the shrimp was plentiful. While I wait for warmer days to come, I’ll just have to reminisce with shrimp for dinner. If you’re like me and can’t wait for summer, then try the Jerk Shrimp and Mango Salsa Rice Bowls. If you’re a patient anticipator of spring, try my adaptation of Korean Shrimp Bowls; and if you’ve still got one foot in winter and your idea of a good March day is on the slopes, Shrimp with Cauliflower “Grits” and Arugula is the dish for you.
Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Frosting
My mom was a “lunch lady” for 20 years. She was the resident baker (as opposed to what I envision as the much-less-glamorous salad maker) at River Road Elementary for half this time. Her responsibilities included regularly making huge batches of rolls and cinnamon rolls. Rumor has it that more than one custodian or teacher would sneak into the cafeteria in the early morning hours to procure a freshly baked cinnamon roll. I can’t imagine anyone being able to resist that yeasty, buttery, cinnamon aroma wafting down the school corridors. It’s not surprising that my mom’s cinnamon rolls were in high demand, as her proficiency with cinnamon rolls began long before the school cafeteria. Cinnamon rolls covered in maple frosting are forever imprinted in my four siblings’ and my childhood memories. On the days when my mom would make bread, she would spend what seemed like all day in the kitchen rolling dough, punching it down, and forming pans of dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls. I remember this being one of my favorite dinners—buttery (in those days it was Nucoa) rolls with a pot of homemade chili. We would wait patiently all day for the decadent cinnamon rolls to come out of the oven for dessert. With seven of us, they went quickly, but I remember enjoying them even more for breakfast the next day.
Chicken Avocado Melt with Black Bean & Corn Salsa
Chicken. It’s what’s for dinner more often than any other meat in the United States. Over the years, this has been true at our house as well. We’ve never been big fans of pork. (Well except for bacon, because duh, it’s bacon.) We’ve limited our red meat intake and eaten more seafood ever since moving back to the Pacific Northwest. But chicken remains a staple. It’s easy to defrost and lends itself to so many different recipes. These days I look for high-quality, pastured chicken with local being even better. I’ve also been seeing air-chilled chicken more often at my local grocer. I buy it on sale and then we divide it up and vacuum seal into dinner portions for easy defrosting. There are so many ways to cook chicken, yet I’m always looking for new ideas. Once or twice a year, I pull the recipe for Chicken Avocado Melt out of my archives. It remains one of my husband’s favorite dinners. I recently served this topped with a black bean and corn salsa and a side of cilantro lime rice with candied cumin. ¡Fiesta!
Share the love: Valentine’s Day gifting
February is the month of love. Do as the lyrics to Love is All Around tell us: “Let it show!” We may think about sharing expressions of love with our sweetheart, children or bestie, ahh, but it’s also a nice time to just be nice. We could all use a little pick-me-up about right now whether you’re tired of the weather, bored from staying home, missing your family or bummed about no warm beach vacation. Share a little love with someone who may not expect it. Let your co-worker or a neighbor know they matter. Drop off homemade or classroom-style valentines on porches in your neighborhood. Package up some red, white and pink goodies in a jar. Read on for suggestions, recipes and kitchenistic gift ideas.
Twist and Shout: Pretzels and Dips for Super Bowl Sunday
When I think of soft pretzels, I envision days past when my young kids would ask for a cinnamon sugar pretzel at the mall, which always turned into a disaster as I frantically searched for enough napkins, wetting them with water from my water bottle to clean the cinnamon sugar mixture that went from ear-to-ear on their little faces all while instructing them to “not touch anything.” If it was just me at the mall, I would opt for grabbing a pepperoni pretzel because shopping took precedent over taking time to sit down and eat. We visited Wetzel’s Pretzels when we lived in Arizona and later Auntie Anne’s, but our pretzel days disappeared as the kids got older. On a business trip to Nuremberg, Germany a few years ago, everywhere I looked there were warm authentic pretzels calling my name. Then the other day my sister sent me a picture of the pretzels her 14-year-old son begged her to make. I decided to give it a whirl and determined that these easy-to-make pretzels would be a fun game day snack (or what the heck, dinner) for Super Bowl Sunday.
Blueberry therapy: Baked Oatmeal and Homemade Pop Tarts
Now is about the time of year when I’m ready for summer again. I know it’s not rational, but I always feel like winter should be over after Christmas. Yet we have at least three months before it starts getting warm enough for me. I find myself dreaming about sunnier days and drafting my summer bucket list. One activity that’s always on the list is blueberry picking. Every year we visit (a number of times) Bybee Nims Farms for fresh blueberries. We pack our freezer full so that in the middle of the winter we can treat ourselves to some blueberry therapy. Blueberry pancakes and muffins are a given, but when I saw Karista Bennett's recipe for Oregon Blueberry Cardamom Baked Oatmeal, I decided Washington Blueberry Cardamom Baked Oatmeal needed to happen! Once the blueberry discussion started, my slightly blueberry-obsessed husband suggested that I make homemade blueberry pop tarts. That’s the only nudge I needed.
Orange you glad it’s citrus season?
One of my favorite bright spots in the wintertime is all the beautiful citrus fruit. Oranges are actually the largest citrus crop in the world, with the United States accounting for about 10 percent of the world’s production. Florida grows about 70 percent of the US orange crop followed by California, Texas and Arizona. I lived in a Phoenix suburb for many years and would commute daily through the fragrant orange groves. I used to love that time of year when I could drive through the groves with my car windows down and inhale the sweet scent of orange blossoms. A side benefit of living there was coming across the extra oranges, grapefruits and lemons that people who had more citrus than they could eat would leave at the end of their driveways or on their porches. Navel oranges were the most common. It was only after moving back to the Pacific Northwest, that I started eating the smaller (and easier to peel) varieties and when I discovered the sweeter versions like Cara Cara and blood oranges.
Smart technology innovations for your kitchen
A chocolate maker, combi-oven, voice-controlled faucet and more
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held every January in Las Vegas is traditionally when the biggest innovations across all categories of consumer electronics are announced. This year the show was completely virtual, which allowed me to participate in Monday’s Food Tech Live Expo and Summit sponsored by The Spoon. I was overwhelmed hearing and seeing all the talk yesterday. There were advancements in 3D food printing, plant-based food, cultured meat, personalized nutrition, food delivery, connected appliances, a kitchen OS that uses a voice interface, artificial intelligence, and the list goes on. While I’m not running out any time soon to buy the LG fridge with a Bluetooth speaker and a built-in Alexa, I did see a number of new products that appeal to the home cook in me.
Long live Shirley’s Lasagna
Lasagna is one of those dishes that fall into the category of “My mom makes the best (fill in the blank)” and we tend not to veer too far from what we’re used to. A few months back I came across an article on The Kitchn that tested “4 famous lasagna recipes” from Giada de Laurentiis, Ina Garten, All Recipes and Martha Stewart. All four are classified as “Italian-American,” which according to the author means dry noodles, a simple meat sauce or marinara, and multiple types of cheese instead of béchamel. (Traditional “Italian” lasagna typically is made up of fresh pasta, Bolognese sauce and béchamel.) I thought, huh, I wonder how these lasagnas stack up to my mom’s. After all, our family’s lasagna is the most famous. Well, famous in our family at least. I have three sisters and one brother. While my mom, Shirley, has “retired” from making lasagna, all of us girls use her recipe. And my brother? He’s the number one benefactor of all this lasagna. He never met a (sister’s) lasagna he didn’t like. Or at least he’s smart enough not to say. This all got me thinking and led me to ask my mom about the origin of her recipe.
Organize your kitchen life
Conquer the pantry and corral your recipes
Every year when I put away the holiday decorations my house feels empty and bare. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I like to think of it as a clean slate. Even though it may take me a week of melancholic wallowing in post-holiday blues before I get motivated for a fresh start, I eventually get to the point where the organization bug kicks in. Unsurprisingly, the kitchen is where I always choose to start. Two areas that have made my kitchen life easier are an orderly (and pretty) pantry and a good management system for my recipes.
Dinner and dessert for two
I thought I’d share a quick recipe for the Kahlúa Chocolate “Anniversary” Mousse that I posted on Instagram a couple days ago. Our wedding anniversary is January 3rd and usually overshadowed by recovering from the holidays and feeling melancholy because the kids have gone home. It’s typically a case of … and then there were two. Plus, this year it was an extremely rainy and windy Northwest day that meant we didn’t want to leave the warmth of our home. So not super romantic (but yet comforting), I made an easy dinner and dessert from ingredients we had in the house. One of our favorite Instant Pot dishes called Korean Chicken Bowls was dinner and I threw together chocolate mousse for two. After 34 years of marriage, it was just right.
Our family-famous “Chocolate Roll”
Over the years and on special occasions, my family has made a dessert that we simply call “Chocolate Roll.” My older sister is the queen of chocolate rolls and can whip them out with little effort. She even has a special “chocolate roll plate.” Her three kids have been known to repeatedly ask for a chocolate roll for their birthdays and she makes it for Christmas and Easter. The beauty of this simple recipe is that you can customize it however you want. My sister has made it with vanilla pudding, pistachio pudding and different flavors of ice cream. Although the spongelike texture of the cake is really closer to a Swiss Roll, I typically make the family-famous chocolate roll once a year at Christmas in the spirit of a yule log. In the past, I’ve filled it with mint chocolate chip or peppermint ice cream. This year, mostly because my KitchenAid ice cream attachment had been sitting lonely in the drawer for several months, I figured it was time to take it for a whirl and I made chocolate peppermint bark ice cream.
Bistro Dungeness Crab Stacks
Living on the west coast, we love our seafood and especially Dungeness crab. Crabbing season can be year around depending on whether you’re in California, Oregon or Washington with winter being prime time for the Pacific Northwest. Yet, the price of crab (especially fresh crab meat out of the shell) and the temperamental season and rules around crabbing mean Dungeness crab is not always available at Christmas. We like to have some kind of seafood around Christmas and in past years have had homemade clam chowder in sourdough bowls for Christmas Eve. Since 2020 is one for the books, I figured it called for splurging on crab! My hubby picked up a half pound of fresh crab meat at Gemini Fish Market east of Seattle to make these impressive Bistro Crab Stacks for our Christmas Day menu.
Cookies for Santa
If you’re like me, this year you may have felt like the tradition of baking and exchanging Christmas cookies wasn’t quite the same. After all, it’s about more than just the cookies. It’s the nostalgia. Spending time together, sharing and passing down recipes and making memories. It’s about teaching the younger generation to create in the kitchen, and of course, feed Santa’s sugar tooth. Sharing baked treats with neighbors, friends and family is a big part of why we bake, bake, bake during the holiday season. Baking Christmas cookies actually dates back to medieval times when it originated as a way to share gifts when visiting friends and family. In the 17th century, the Dutch and German brought Christmas cookies and cookie cutters to the United States, changing the cookie game!
Christmastime is tamale-time
The abundance of great Mexican food is something our family has missed ever since moving from the Phoenix metro area back to the Pacific Northwest. Heck, my son grew up practically drinking salsa (true story). One year at Christmastime, my husband came home with tamales that his Hispanic colleagues had brought into the office. I was sold. Fast forward, years later we decided to embark on our own tamale-making family adventure. However, there’s no getting around the fact that tamales are time consuming. Lucky for me, I have my husband Ted (aka Theodoro at least when we take a Mexican vacation) to thank for taking the time to document our tamale-making process in writing and photos. Our favorite tamales are a chicken salsa verde version and although they may not necessarily be authentic, they are delicioso.
The merriest kitchen and food gift guide
Since we are all home cooks this year, edible gifts and gifts for the kitchen top the most-wanted gift list and are the most fun to give! Treat a friend, your sister, your son, or whoever is the cook in the family with something practical, beautiful, delicious or just plain fun. Buying for yourself is totally permitted as well. Keep reading for some wonderful and unique ideas. I hope you discover the perfect something!
Cheers to the underappreciated pear
Appearently December 5 is World Pear Day and kicks off National Pear Month. Yet, who knew? The pear just doesn’t get a fair shake. My formative experience with pears was watching my mom canning them. I don’t remember ever eating a fresh pear as a kid. Rather, they came from a jar, canned in syrup, or chopped up in fruit cocktail. Only when I visited my brother-in-law’s family farm in southern Oregon about 10 years ago did I come to appreciate the beauty of the often-overlooked pear.