I'm splitting today's post into to entries, since it's so long. In the spirit of this cold November weekend, I'm going to share my mom's recipe for orange cranberry bread, or at least my adaptation of it since my mom refuses to use a recipe for anything.

Mom's Orange-Cranberry Bread (I made muffins)

- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cup brown sugar

- 3 teaspoons baking powder

- 2 teaspoon baking soda

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 2 teaspoons cinnamon

- 1 teaspoon nutmeg

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 2 large eggs

- 1 1/4 cups of orange juice

*Note* I used freshly squeezed OJ when I made these yesterday since I was using oranges for the zest anyway (okay, really I just forgot to buy orange juice.) This didn't quite provide the orangy flavor I wanted. I would play with pureeing the oranges. My mom pointed out that by doing this, you're keeping the flavor and have added health benefits (mitigated by the the use of butter, sugar, and processed flour, of course.)

- Grated peel of 2 oranges (I found out that I really need a zester yesterday. The cheese grater just made it so I wasted half of my orange zest)

- 4 tablespoons melted butter (you can use margarine if you want, but let's face it, margarine leaves a slightly chemically flavor to everything it touches, so I do not recommend it.)

- 4 tablespoons hot water

- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

- 2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. I did 375 yesterday, and that was a bit too high. You can experiment with whatever you think works for your oven.

The process is simple. Mix together your dry ingredients in one large bowl (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, etc.) In a separate larger bowl, whisk your eggs, and then add the orange juice, orange peel, melted butter, and hot water. Mix until just combined (i.e., don't overdo it.) Fold in the cranberries and walnuts.

Keep in mind that these are muffins, and not cupcakes, so the batter will be thicker. This is how it is supposed to be. Muffins are much denser than cupcakes. The only reason I'm mentioning this is that when I first started making these the thickness of the batter made me worry that they would turn out weird. Luckily the ingredients work their magic and the turn out beautifully.

Honestly, I didn't time these, so I can't really give you an exact time. I would say it probably took about 30 minutes. Check at 20 minutes. Use a toothpick, or if you're like me, a butter knife (I really need to get the essentials so I can stop improvising.) It will come out clean when it's done. They should be a golden brown on top.

Let the muffins sit for about 5 minutes, and then move to a cooling rack. Once cool, add the eggnog glaze I've provided below.

Eggnog Glaze (can be regular glaze if you'd like, or you can forego the glaze altogether. I was just experimenting)

1/4 cup melted butter

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 tablespoons light eggnog (I would use light eggnog, as it is closer to the consistency of milk than regular eggnog. Also, if you prefer to just use milk, go for it. I would add a teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract if you decide to do a regular glaze to add flavor.)

Sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl. Add the melted butter. Mix these together, and then add the eggnog/milk. Beat until smooth. This is just a starting point. I ended up having to add more eggnog, but you may not have to.

Glazing your muffins:

I just wanted to add a little bit of thanksgiviny-flavor to these muffins. However, I would avoid using the glaze as a frosting. I used a Wilton squeeze bottle to do designs on the top of them, for just a touch of added flavor.

http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E310280-475A-BAC0-5E93DEB3041892C7

I love the fall. The air gets crisp, the leaves explode with color, and as you all know, fall in the Northwest is pretty much our last opportunity to get a glimpse of the sun. However, I think what I love most is the food. Food in the fall is hearty; designed to warm from the inside out. There is something so homey about meals enriched with the deep, earthy flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and curry. These spices enhance my food with just the right amount of substance. Anyway, I promise I have a purpose for this entry beyond rambling about the benefits of fall and its food.

I have a couple fall-centric recipe I'd like to share with everyone. Lately I've had a lot of 8-hour training days for our new POS system. I spend a lot of this time either looking for recipes, or thinking about my mom's recipes. Will this lack of listening bite me when I have to actually do my job? Most likely. But I have a lot more fun, so I consider it worth it.

The first recipe is something I tried making for the first time a couple weeks ago. I found it on a wonderful cooking blog, Smitten Kitchen (www.smittenkitchen.com). This woman has a ton of wonderful, inventive recipes that are usually rather easy to make. While this one takes some time, it's actually a lot of fun, and as she says, they are so friggin cute...

Apple Pie Cookies (as adapted from Smittenkitchen.com)

First of all, here is the link to her blog post. I encourage anyone wanting to try this recipe to go to the source, http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/10/apple-pie-cookies/

Now, I pretty much followed her recipe, but I'll add my own suggestions to what I would add to make them even more delicious. All of my comments will be in green.

Crust
2 1/2 cups (313 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting surfaces, dipping fork
2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar (doubled from my standard pie dough to make this more cookie-like)
1 teaspoon (4 grams) table salt
2 sticks (225 grams, 8 ounces, 16 tablespoons or 1 cup) unsalted butter, very cold
1/2 cup (118 ml) water, very cold (I pour 1 cup and add ice while I work, then measure 1/2 cup from it when I need it)

When you read her blog, take note of what she says about working with chilled pie dough. She isn't kidding. I had to put mine in the refrigerator several times as I was making these. I would also add that you should work the dough as little as possible. The more dough is worked, the tougher and drier it becomes. Since the crust is at the forefront of flavor for this recipe, you'll want to avoid that.

Filling
3 medium apples, whatever you like to bake with (I use either Fuji or Granny Smith since they are crisp and won't get mushy as they cook)Squeeze of lemon juice (optional)1/3 cup (67 grams) granulated sugar (I used brown sugar, since I think it adds to the flavor more than granulated)
1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cinnamon
Few gratings fresh nutmeg
A pinch of any other spices you like in your apple pie (I added about 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder (Market Spice at Pikeplace Market has a delicious version), and just a smidgen of ground cloves)


To finish
1 large egg
Coarse or granulated sugar for garnish (I used brown sugar mixed with cinnamon)

Something I'd like to try:

- melt down (or make your own) caramel and add it to the filling or drizzle it over the top of the finished cookies.

You can find the rest of the recipe at smittenkitchen.com (just click on the link I provided above). You all really should peruse Deb's website. She is a home cook, and her recipes reflect the kind of innovation and simpleness that most homecooks need.

If any of you do try this, please let me know how it goes.

Oysters on the half shell

Hello everyone,

I hope you all have enjoyed October as much as I have. This month's demo requires an adventurous spirit (at least for the duration of Wednesday night), as we will be eating, wait for it..... raw oysters! Considering the topic of this month's read, I doubt anyone is surprised, but I hope it is exciting news nonetheless. Doug's demo will include a mignonette sauce, which is vinegar based, and a cocktail sauce. We were talking about the demo today, and our hope is that we will get everyone to try one.

For those who are looking for something a little more cooked, Doug will be preparing an oyster stuffing, deviating from the traditional take on a Thanksgiving favorite. He will also be showing us all how to shuck oysters, which, if any of you share in my lack of grace and experience, will save us all from unnecessary hospital bills.

I hope that all of you will be able to make it to this months meeting, next Wednesday, October 26th at 6:30 PM. We will be in the Fireside as usual.

 Just a reminder: next month's book is Cherries in Winter. In this heartfelt memoir, Suzan Colὀn faces unemployment in the midst of America's economic crisis. Instead of letting it destroy her, she uses the survival instinct and innate story-telling ability she has inherited from generations of Colὀn women to make the most out of her situation. Cherries in Winter demonstrates what it means to be rich in spirit, even when financially poor.

I hope to see everyone there!

~Brianne

The Art of Eating In

Our next meeting is in a little over a week from from now. As you all know, this month's book is The Art of Eating In: How I Learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove. I hope you all can make it! Look for another post later this week letting you know what this month's demo will be.

Cathy Erway is a New Yorker with a passion for sustainability and thrifty-spending. The Art of Eating In is her chronicle of not eating at restaurants and street vendors. For two years she gave up eating any pre-made food whatsoever (with some exceptions).

I have to admit that I was a bit hesitant to start this book. You see, I eat out A LOT. Restaurants are where I usually meet up with my friends, go on dates, and meet coworkers. Eating out has become a part of my routine, and lord knows I'm a creature of habit. I'm also a very busy person, and the thought of having to come home late, cook, and then having to do all the clean up can be exhausting.

But once I finally got myself to start this book, the fond memories I have of eating at home began to surface- my mom teaching me how to cook, my family sitting down at the dinner table to enjoy a meal together everyday, the annual peasants' feast my roommate and I throw every year for our friends... These are all much more memorable than any experience I've had eating in a restaurant. Plus, Cathy's recipes are inexpensive, as well as simple and unique. Her emphasis is on making eating in easy and flexible. This is definitely a practice I can get behind.

I encourage you all to check out her blog, http://noteatingoutinny.com/. She's got a bunch of great ideas and recipes, and although the events are all in New York, you may find some ideas of what to look for in our area.

Bring your ideas of how you make eating in to our next meeting. I look forward to seeing all of you next week!

Brianne

Summer in a Bowl

Hello All,

Food of Thought is in 2 days! I am sorry I am a little late in posting the demo. As most of you know Doug is getting married and will not be doing our demo. We were originally thinking another chef from PLU could step in as a substitute, but due to extenuating circumstance they are short staffed and don't have enough people to spare.

Do not fear, even in his absence Doug has our interest in mind :)

Doug and I picked a simple recipe from Madhur's cookbook Simple Indian Cooking. Given the weather we thought a Summery Yoghurt soup would be fitting. This is a vegetarian dish and it is also cold. Another sous chef from dining will whip this up for us and I will pick it up and have everything ready by the time your arrive. It will be a lonely meeting without Doug's demonstration, but we will have good food and good conversation.

I look forward to seeing all of you again.

Puttin' Up

Good Morning,

After all the valuable and useful information you learned in Farm City, we though an equally thought provoking demonstration was necessary. The main theme of Farm City is using what you have in a sustainable way. This is why we thought a demo on canning would be perfect. Not only does canning give us thousands and thousands of ideas/recipes, it is also something you can easily do at home with fruit or vegetables from your garden.

In addition to the lesson on canning, Doug will be making hot pepper jelly. The hot pepper jelly is something Doug swears by, "both sweet and spicy" he says. Hot pepper jelly goes wonderful with a cracker and goat cheese, but we are going to take it up a notch and serve it with pork tacos.

No need to eat dinner tonight!

Farm City

Good Morning Everyone,

It's hard to imagine gardening with such icky weather, but I came across some photos from the Farm City website. There is a link on the right hand side titled "Farm Photos" which will take you to her Flickr.I though they would be fun to share; help you visualize as you read. The pictures also convey how big her garden really is. She also has a lot of animals running around too. I hope you enjoy!