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					Dec
					25
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					pies, puddings, fruits, mousses, and tortes										
				
				
				Almond Pear Crostada
			
				
					
I was going to write a post about how this Christmas was the first I’d ever spent away from both of my parents, and how while I had a great time with my new family I was still sad about not being with my siblings, my aunts and uncles, my cousins.  How at this time of year it’s not the presents that matter so much as the tradition, the comfort, the stability of being with people that you know love you even when you’re caught eating cookies in your bed watching bad tv.  In fact, more often than not, they’ll join you.


But I’m sitting here with my husband, belly full of potatoes au gratin and steak, watching him kill zombies (mutants?) on the playstation, and I feel really grateful.  Even though part of me is in Durham with my parents, or in Ewing with my grandparents and extended family, the rest of me was here today, enjoying an amazing Christmas with family that has come to mean so much to me.


I know this is incredibly sappy, but it’s Christmas and if you ever read my father’s blog you’d know that I come by sappy naturally.  It’s just that Christmas brings out the sentimental side of people, helps you to overlook some of the bad.  Like right now I’m able to block out the drive home in the fog and freezing rain and just remember watching my father in law play princesses with his granddaughter, using a very menacing voice to play the part of Maleficent.  Or the speakerphone call I got from my family where I couldn’t really tell who was talking or what they were saying, just the general sentiment that they loved me.


So… Merry Christmas, internet.  I hope that on this day, whatever it means to you, that you’re happy and with family.  This is the time of year to bite your tongue when your grandfather says something insensitive or when your sister eats the last oreo ball.  This is the time of year to appreciate the little time we have with our family.  Even if all you can do is call your mom and tell her about the best pork shoulder you ever ate.

Almond Pear Crostada
2 bosc pears
3/4 cup slivered almonds
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp almond extract
1 egg
1 pie crust (recipe here or here)
Heat your oven to 350.  Spread almonds out on a baking sheet and toast for 3 minutes.  Set aside.
Roll out your pie dough.  Spread almonds evenly over the center, leaving a 1 1/2 inch border on all sides.
Slice your pears and toss in flour, sugar, extract, and nutmeg.  Layer in a circular pattern, stem facing towards the center.  Fold the dough up over to form the crostada shape.  Brush exposed dough with egg.
Bake for 40 minutes.
 
									
				
					Tags: almond pear crostada, almonds, christmas, crostada, food, food blog, holidays, pear crostada, pie, southern
									

								
									
				
				 
				
				
				
			


			




			
				
					Dec
					19
					3
					comments
				
				
				
					muffins, breads, biscuits, and sweet breads										
				
				
				Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Muffins
			
				
					
As I write this, D.C. and it’s surrounding areas are in the midst of a blizzard.  Yeah.  A blizzard.  My readers from all points north can stop reading here and commence eye-rolling because I am about to exclaim my wonder at the amount of snow that has accumulated in these parts.  As of now, it’s upwards of two feet, and going steadily.  I know, right!  It’s probably the most snow I’ve ever seen, and it’s definitely the most snow I’ve seen recently and in D.C.

When I was growing up there was a snowfall of two feet in North Carolina.  It probably hit most of the east coast, so a lot of you probably had the same experience.  It was incredible.  It started to snow as I went to bed and I remember yelling downstairs to my mom that she should wake me up if there was school.  The next morning I woke up (on my own) to two feet of snow, my own winter wonderland.  And because before college the only places I’d ever lived were southern Florida and central North Carolina, it was the most (naturally occurring- I’d been skiing) snow I’d ever seen.


Durham shut down, we were out of school for 10 days (two whole weeks).  It was incredible, I’d never experienced anything like it.  When I tell my friends from outside the south how incredibly that snowfall impacted North Carolina they can’t believe it, but it’s not like we had that many snow plows.  And while I’m sure today’s snow won’t hurt the District in quite the same ways, I can’t help drawing comparisons.

When I went to the grocery store last night to buy lots of wine (and bacon) they were out of everything, picked clean by the threat of a snowpacalypse.  I made a big pot of soup, thawed some lasagna, and thanked the stars that we always have quesadilla ingredients.  Because in a time like this, you’ll want to hunker down with a bowl of soup or stew and enjoy being inside.  And if you have the ingredients on hand or can find them at the market, these muffins are the perfect mate to a big bowl of warm goodness.

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Muffins
1 jalapeño
1/4 cup white cheddar cheese, sharp
1/4 cup orange cheddar cheese, sharp
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
1/3 cup canola oil
Chop jalapeño and shred cheese.
Mix dry ingredients.  Slowly mix in milk and oil.  Pour into muffin tin, filling halfway.
Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

 
									
				
					Tags: cheddar cornbread, cheese, cornbread, cornbread muffins, food, food blog, jalapeño cheddar cornbread muffins, jalapeño cornbread, muffins, snow, snow day, soup, southern, stew
									

								
				
				 
				
				
				
			


			




			
				
					Dec
					17
					1
					comments
				
				
				
					biscuitsandsuch news										
				
				
				Barbeque Song
			
				
					So I have a few recipes planned for later this week but had to share something with you first.  As many of you know, barbeque is a big part of southern culture, and where you’re from totally dictates how you eat it and what your opinion of it is.  I myself prefer the vinegar based barbeque of eastern North Carolina.  Last night my good friend Julia had dinner with us and showed me this incredible video that I can’t believe I haven’t seen before.  It’s amazing and I wanted to share it with you.  Note the part at the end, for my non-southern readers, where it points out that “barbeque” is a noun, not a verb.  That is a very important fact to understand.  And that North Carolina’s is best.  Obviously.

									
				
					Tags: barbeque, barbeque song, bbq, north carolina bbq
									

								
				
				 
				
				
				
			


			




			
				
					Dec
					11
					0
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					captain james cooks,  seafood,  soups, grits, stews, and meat pies										
				
				
				Seafood Stew
			
				
					
One of the things I learned at art school was that I’m not special.  That sounds a little harsh.  I mean, specifically, that my life story, the things that have happened to me and the challenges that I’ve faced, aren’t unique.  When I was growing up I was one of the few people I knew that had divorced parents.  But every one of my close friends from college (save Dan) are the products of divorce.  For the first time since I was eleven I had a group of friends that totally got what I was going through, who knew what it was like.  Some of them have parents who still have a friendly relationship, others (like me) have parents whose relationship is rough, at best.  Swapping war stories with them was healing, made me feel like people beyond my  brothers understood what I was going through.

This Thanksgiving was a demonstration of how things can play out in a funny way.  My parents live just a few miles from each other in Durham, which makes visiting both of them around the holidays easy since we can toggle back and forth from their houses.  This year, my dad and stepmom were supposed to be in Northern Virginia for Thanksgiving, so we made plans to spend the holiday with my mom.  Then we were invited to my Aunt Lori and Uncle Kevin’s house, my father’s brother and his family.   Just before Thanksgiving my dad and stepmom cancelled their trip, which meant they spent the holiday with her family while we spent it with my mom and my dad’s family.  Complicated.

My dad has a section on b&s called “The Captain Cooks.”  So I was only mildly surprised to get a text (he just got an iPhone and started texting) from him on Thanksgiving morning inviting me to come over and take pictures of him frying a turkey.  Unfortunately we were due at our dinner, so I offered to document his meal for the Friday night dinner we’d be attending, a seafood stew.  I will, however, absolutely have to share his turkey recipe with you soon, because it was delicious.

My dad does soups and stews really well.  Brunswick stew, chili, seafood boils, they are rich and full of flavor.  I used to love when he would make a few gallons; my sisters and I would just curl up in bed with a big bowl and allow ourselves to be filled with its warmth.  This stew was no different.  Full of flavor, perfect for a big family dinner over a family game of dice.  The biggest conflict on that Black Friday?  The difference between soup and stew.  Thoughts?

Seafood StewSource: Captain James Rosemond 
1 pound sausage
1 pound cod
1 pound shrimp
1 onion
2 cups carrots
4 potatoes
2 16 oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 4 oz can tomato paste
1 cup celery
2 16 oz cans green beans, canned
1 bottle V-8
Cayenne pepper
Salt & pepper
2 small cans clams (with juice)
2 small cans oysters (with juice)
4 tbsp olive oil
Chop celery, carrots, onion, and potatoes.  Set aside.  Parboil potatoes.  Drain.
Heat oil in a large stock pot.  Saute sausage until brown.  Add celery and cook 5 minutes.  Add carrots, onions, and potatoes, one at a time.  Stir in the juice from the clams and oysters, but not the fish itself.  Cook 5 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, green beans, and V-8.  Add salt and pepper and cayenne.
Simmer for 2-4 hours.  30 minutes before you’d like to serve, bring heat back up and add seafood.  Cook for half an hour, stirring occasionally, and serve.
									
				
					Tags: divorce, family, holiday, seafood, seafood stew, stew, thanksgiving
									

								
				
				 
				
				
				
			


			




			
				
					Dec
					03
					0
					comments
				
				
				
					cookies, cakes, and cupcakes										
				
				
				Gingerbread Cookies
			
				
					
I think one of the biggest challenges facing couples that are starting out (and cohabiting) is the blending and merging of traditions, especially holiday traditions.  Every family celebrates a different way, and it can be tricky to protect the traditions that are most important to you while respecting the way your partner feels.  It can also be hard to establish new traditions, to make the holiday your own, when so much of what we feel around the holidays is prompted by the way things were done while we were growing up.  Half of the time you’re fighting the urge to say things like “well the way my mother did it…”

Dan and I have worked really hard to be respectful of each other’s wishes, traditions, and beliefs.  But, as in most cases, there are some things we just won’t ever see eye to eye on.  For one, I hate surprises.  I usually manage to keep half of what I’m giving him for Christmas a secret.  He loves surprises.  I could put his presents unwrapped in the closet and he would never peek.  We also like totally opposite kinds of cookies.  I don’t mean that he likes chocolate chip and I like sugar, I mean that he likes soft, chewy cookies and I like them to crunch.

This was a problem when I made gingerbread cookies last week.  You see, I like very thin very crunchy gingerbread cookies.  Snaps, if you will.  He likes them soft.  And… I forgot.  The first batch I made were super crunchy, the kind of cookie that you have to dip in a mug of hot chocolate to eat.  Dan gave me sad puppy eyes while he was gnawing on one, so I made another batch of very soft sugar topped ones, just the way he likes them.  See, the holidays are about compromise.  And cookies!  Lesson learned.

Gingerbread Cookies
4 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 tbsp powdered ginger
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 stick butter, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
Beat sugar and butter until fluffy.  Add in egg.  Beat in molasses and vanilla.
Mix together all remaining ingredients.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
Divide, wrap in plastic, and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.
Roll out on parchment paper.  Your dough should be 1/4 inch thin.  For snaps roll the dough out as thin as possible.   Put back in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Heat your oven to 350.  Cut into circles or whatever shapes you want and bake 8-10 minutes for soft cookies, 20 minutes for crunchy.  Let cool on a wire rack.
									
				
					Tags: christmas cookies, food, food blog, gingerbread, gingerbread cookies, gingerbread snaps, holiday cookies, southern
									

								
				
				 
				
				
				
			


			




			
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