Cinnamon Buns

29Nov09

We all have foods we closely associate with the holidays: Blueberry muffins on Christmas morning, spiced apple cider, and these plump, sugary cinnamon buns. The first two food memories are mine, but these cinnamon buns are entirely compliments of my husband. They’re something his mom would make during Christmas, and for years I’ve been flagging recipes and promising to bake them from scratch. Pillsbury has these down, apparently, but ever since A. told me about them, I wanted to do it the old fashioned way.

This was an ideal weekend for baking. We returned from Thanksgiving on Friday evening with plans to relax for the rest of the weekend. Saturday involved a little grocery shopping, and, most importantly, picking up our Christmas tree.

We spent the rest of the afternoon trying to fit its trunk into our stand, and after an hour, victory was finally ours. We decorated, sipped cider, and watched Love Actually. But before any of that wonderful holiday cheer took place, we ate breakfast.

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Puree of Chickpea Soup

25Nov09

There was a time in my life when I absolutely, without a doubt, hated beans. It’s true. Growing up, my mom was always encouraging me to try black beans when she made them, but I wouldn’t do it. It was something about the texture, and probably my association that all beans were refried beans (a version that still makes me queasy), that led to me shun this delicious protein source for years.

Well, the veil has been lifted and I’ve seen the light. It started with white beans. A white bean soup with rosemary, to be specific. I don’t remember where I tasted it, but the light bulb finally went off and I began to recognize the potential of beans. Then, in college (and this being southern California, after all), Mexican food was always available. I started adding black beans to my burritos, but only a few at first. (So few, that I could count them on two hands as I individually placed each bean strategically on top of my rice and chicken…Sad, I know.) But one day, I started adding them by the spoonful. Then I started buying cans of beans to make soups, dips, and tacos. And then, I finally bought a few bags of dried beans, and life hasn’t been the same.

Puree of Chickpea Soup

Recipe adapted from Martha Rose Shulman, New York Times

I’ll still use canned beans when pressed for time (or just because), but certain recipes where beans are the star can benefit from starting with the dried variety. It takes some advance planning (beans need to soak for at least 6-8 hours, or overnight), but the results are generally worth the extra effort. A regular blender (instead of an immersion blender) will make the texture extra velvety, so I didn’t take the time to strain the soup before serving. If you prefer your soup a bit thinner, gradually add water and stir over low heat until the desired consistency is reached.

Ingredients

1 pound chickpeas, rinsed and picked over

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 to 5 large garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon cumin

Salt to taste

Freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1 lemon, plus additional for drizzling

Chopped fresh mint or parsley for garnish

Directions

1. Soak the chickpeas in water overnight. (Water should cover the beans by two inches.) Drain.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, for about a minute, until the mixture is fragrant. Add the chickpeas and 12 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer one hour. Add salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon) and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes to an hour. The beans should be very tender.

3. Puree the soup in a blender (in small batches, covering the top with a dish towel to avoid hot splashes) or with an immersion blender until smooth. Put through a strainer for a very smooth texture, pushing it through with the bottom of a ladle or a spatula. Return to the pot, and heat through, stirring the bottom and sides of the pot so that the puree doesn’t stick. Stir in the remaining tablespoons of olive oil and the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings.

4. Garnish each bowl with a few drops of olive oil or lemon juice if desired and a sprinkle of chopped fresh mint or parsley. Serve with crusty bread.

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Wild Rice and Mushrooms

20Nov09

Thanksgiving is next week, and I can already feel myself going into denial about the upcoming new year. I can’t believe it, really. It seems like just yesterday that I was clinking my champagne glass and ringing in 2009.

One bright spot is that the fall, including the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, is my favorite season for cooking. Of course, I love to cook (and eat) year-round, but there’s something about curling up with a bowl of soup during a rainy evening, sipping cider, and generally finding new ways to use all the varieties of squash that show themselves during this season. I can’t get enough.

This dish is another ideal side, although I admit we ate this as a main course when I made it a couple of weeks ago. The mushrooms with butter and herbs are a nice combination, with similar textures and a splash of fresh parsley. It’s great for any holiday table, or a Tuesday, whichever you prefer.

Wild Rice and Mushrooms

Recipe courtesy Bon Appetit

Bon Appetit’s version is a stuffing with ancho chile and two kinds of rice. I simplified the recipe based on what was in my pantry, using only wild rice and Cremini mushrooms.

Ingredients

2 cups wild rice (about 12 ounces)

About 2 tablespoons of butter, divided

Extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups of mushrooms, any variety, sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cups low-salt chicken broth or water

Sea salt, to taste

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Directions

Place wild rice in heavy medium saucepan. Add enough stock to cover rice by 3 inches. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until rice is almost tender, about 45 minutes. Drain.

Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil to same pot; heat over medium heat. Add onions to pot; sauté until golden and very tender, about 20 minutes. Add to the bowl with rice. In the same pot, melt more butter and oil and add mushrooms sauté until brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with rice. Season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley and serve warm.

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Plum Cake

18Nov09

I can’t believe it’s taken me three months to post this cake. I made it around the same time as this, so I didn’t want to inundate you with too many plum posts. Though, now that my holiday trend of orange/pumpkin/squash food is in full force, I don’t know why I didn’t at least share this recipe when plums were actually in season.

So, here it is, better late than never. Dimply, sweet and sprinkled with powdered sugar, this cake makes a wonderful presentation, and was especially delicious at the end of a light summer lunch.

Filed under: Cakes, Fruit, Sweets   |  2 Comments

Last Minute Squash Soup with Sautéed Mushrooms

14Nov09

I call this last minute soup because up until I started chopping the shallot, I had no idea I was going to make it. It was Friday, and I found out something at work (a promotion!) that left my head spinning for most of the afternoon and into the evening. I had half of a butternut squash left over from the mash below, plus a small shallot, and two sweet potatoes that had been in my vegetable bowl at least two weeks. Essentially, I was looking for a way to clean out the kitchen.

I also had some lovely mushrooms delivered this week. It wasn’t enough to use them in a dish with mushrooms as the main ingredient, so I thought I’d kick-up this fall soup with another earthy element and sauté them down until they were soft and flavorful. It added a nice texture to the soup, as well as made it heartier and even more autumnal than it already was. And, from an aesthetic point of view, it cut through the orange with little pops of brown and white.

Filed under: Holiday, Soup   |  3 Comments