Better Late than Never: A New Year's Recipe

Better late than never. These days, between work, baby, and life in general, it has sort of become my motto. I've had to let go of my uber-punctual, schedule-obsessed ways and just take things as they come, do what I can, and accept that I will never finish my to-do list on any given day. Truth be told, it's been a wonderful side effect of the baby madness. There's a lot to be said for taking things one moment at a time.

And so, last night, I finally found myself preparing my good luck black eyed peas. You know, the ones that you're supposed to eat on New Year's Day. Not sure if they still hold any power by the middle of the month but, if nothing else, they tasted amazing. Here's what I threw together last night in order to make good use of some Swiss chard, butternut squash, and onions from last week's market. Easy peasy and oh so hearty on a snowy winter night. Don't have any chard in the fridge? No squash on your countertop? All of the produce used here came from the winter farmers market in Cambridge. They'll be open from 10-2 again today and you can grab all of this and more. Hope to see you there!

**You may notice that lovely little Hop Noir hiding out in the background. This was an impulse purchase at City Feed, and may be my favorite beer of all time. Made by peak organic, a small brewery in Maine, it was an absolute taste treat and a perfect cold weather beer.**

Black Eyed Peas with Swiss Chard and Quinoa


Ingredients
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch Swiss chard (stems chopped and separated from the leaves)
Black eyed peas (canned here because that's what I bought in a rush on NYE--dried would be better)
1 c quinoa (I used white but red would be gorgeous with this)

Bring two cups water to a boil. Add a smidge of salt and the quinoa. Simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes until the water is fully absorbed. (Check your package directions just in case your particular quinoa calls for something different.) For more flavor, you can use 1 cup chicken stock and 1 cup water, or add sauteed onions, or herbs...the sky's the limit here. For this recipe though, I opted to keep things simple so that the chard could shine through.

While the quinoa is cooking, sautee garlic in olive oil over low heat, being careful not to burn. When garlic begins to soften, add the chopped chard stems. After 3-5 minutes, add leaves. (You can tear these into smaller pieces or leave them whole, depending on their size. I usually opt for tearing.) Cook until tender. Add black eyed peas (very well rinsed if you're using canned) and heat through. Serve over a heaping pile of warm quinoa. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup


Ingredients
2 T olive oil
1-2 T butter (optional)
1 Butternut squash
1 onion, coarsely chopped
Fresh thyme (or dried, in a pinch)
4-6 c chicken stock

Preheat over to 425. Split the squash in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, and roast, cut side up and covered with tin foil, for 45 minutes or until fork tender. When the squash is finished, sautee onion and thyme over low heat in a large soup pot. You can stick to the olive oil here or throw in a little butter--I find the butter adds a depth of flavor without making it overly rich. When the onion is clear and tender, scoop out the squash and add it to the pot along with 4 cups of chicken stock. Bring to a simmer. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender (you can also transfer in batches to a blender of food processor, but if you do not have a handheld blender you should get one immediately--it is quite possibly my favorite kitchen tool). Add more stock or water if the soup is too thick--this will depend on your squash and will be a little different every time. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Sweets for Your Holiday Sweet, Local Style

At this time of year, amidst the festive flurry of holiday parties and visits, many of us find ourselves scrambling to identify just the right gift for our loved ones (especially those of us with a newborn at home, who may not have had time for the usual latte and window shopping...sigh). This can be especially tricky when one of those most dear to us is particularly difficult to gift.

My father, a hard working academic who is perpetually immersed in the writing of one paper or another, is just such a person. What to get for the professor who eats, sleeps, and breathes Finance? Every year I consider a variety of possibilities and, just as quickly, rule them all out. An interesting book on an economic issue? (Nope--he probably knows it all already.) A nice tie or sweater? (This seemed good for a while, but Lord & Taylor can only carry you so far.) A gadget for the grill? (Nope. Dad does like to grill, but he's not a gadget kind of guy.)

Finally, a few years ago, I stumbled upon a simple solution: turron. For those of you not familiar with this treat, turron is an almond-based, Spanish Christmas candy, of which I consumed copious quantities when I lived there. I had a hankering for it over the holidays and was searching for it on line when it hit me--dad loves almonds, he loves simple flavors, and, in spite of his remarkable self restraint, he definitely loves sweets. Three boxes of Turron de Alicante were soon en route to his doorstep that year and were devoured within 24 hours of their arrival...or so the story goes. Sweet success! Now, each year, in addition to whatever attempt I make at an inspired gift for my father, there are always a couple of boxes of turron, sure to please and to give him a rare opportunity to overindulge.

Of course, the one thing that could make this gift even better is if it were locally made and crafted. After all, shipping candy all the way from Spain to New Orleans is not the most sustainable practice. Thankfully, with the steady rise of the local food movement, many foodie entrepreneurs are creating delectable treats with local, seasonal ingredients. And, with so much care and craftsmanship behind these products, the quality often surpasses that of the mass-produced name brands that many of us associate with holiday fancies. Such is the case with the remarkable sweets made by Valerie Conyngham of Vianne Chocolat, whom I recently wrote about in the winter issue of Edible Boston. Based in butter and cream from small, local dairies, her chocolates are infused with local products and produce. Her strawberry balsamic chocolate includes a strawberry jam from the Copley farmers market, and her fall flavors include pumpkin seeds and apple, two unusual companions for chocolate that could only come from being locally inspired. The brilliance of giving such sweets as a gift is that, in addition to the exceptional, creative flavors, you're supporting local business and agriculture and the many individuals who work so hard to make local, sustainable eating a truly viable option, even when it comes to fine chocolates. You can tell your special someone that, in addition to the fun and tasty treat, you've made a contribution to a very important cause in his or her honor--sweet success, doubled!

For more information on where to find Vianne Chocolat or how to order on line, visit Valerie's website. And, if I were you, I'd pick up a little box for myself as well. After all, such thoughtful, responsible holiday shopping deserves a little reward!

Happy Shopping, Happy Eating, and Happy Holidays!

Love and Fortune

Tonight, I am headed to Cambridge to celebrate Valentine's Day with some lovely ladies. Seeing as my hostess already has a fabulous menu planned, I wanted to bring something sweet and fun to add to the party. Since today is also the first day of the Chinese New Year, I thought it would be extra fun if this something held a message for the New Year to come. As it happens, I have a box full of fortunes on hand on the kitchen (seriously), and although I have no idea how to make an actual fortune cookie, I do know how to make a chocolate one. And with a little dab of icing for glue, each cookie becomes a messenger of fortune, holding a special sentiment for its consumer. Some are silly, some speak to matters of the heart--it's Valentine's Day after all--and others are good old-fashioned fortune cookie food for thought.

My favorite? "A contented mind is a perpetual feast." With that thought, and with this recipe, I wish you a happy Valentine's Day and an even happier New Year!

Chocolate Shortbread Refrigerator Cookies,

adapted from an old and yellowed page from the New York Times Magazine

Ingredients

1 1/2 c flour

1 1/2 c confectioners' sugar

1/2 c cocoa powder

pinch of salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, coarsely chopped

1.5 t vanilla extract

3 T ice water

Directions

Combine dry ingredients in a food processor. Pulse just to sift. Add butter and pulse until combined. Sprinkel water and vanilla on top and pulse until combined. This is a dry dough, so do not be alarmed if it's not all sticking together!

Divide the dough in half and shape each half inside waxed paper into a cylinder about 7 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter. (The cookies will spread a bit when baked.) Refrigerate the dough for at least several hours or for as long as 1 day. (You can also freeze the dough for several weeks wrapped in foil.)

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice the dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and set them 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the tops are firm.

Transfer to wire racks to cool. Icing optional!

A Holiday Helper

We've all been there: you have a holiday party to go to in a few hours and, amid all the excitement, you suddenly realize you've failed to think of a festive treat to bring along. Sure, you can grab a bottle of wine on the way, but you'd also like to have a little homemade something that says thanks for the invite in a more personal fashion. Yesterday, craving a sweet snack on a chilly, quiet Saturday, I discovered the perfect solution in my ATK Family Cookbook: "Emergency Chocolate Cake." Named for the ease and speed with which it can be prepared, this cake seemed an ideal fit for my urgent but lazy need for sweet. The editors note that they tried dozens of recipes for a cake that would prove both fast and delicious, but were dissatisfied until one staffer brought in his grandmother's recipe, which proved to be simple, quick, and tasty. There is one catch, however...the secret ingredient? There's no way to sugarcoat it, so I'll just put it out there: mayonnaise. Yes, you can take a moment to make a terrible face. I am totally with you. It sounds gross. When I read it, I nearly closed the cookbook in consternation. But, my faith in the folks at ATK (and perhaps my desperation for cake in any form) propelled me forward.

I followed the instructions nearly to a T, swallowing my doubt as I blended the mayonnaise in with the short list of ingredients. A foodie friend who knew what I was up to expressed her concern on twitter: "mayo?? i am a little bit worried. but let me know how it goes." I was worried as well, but I threw it in the oven and headed back to the couch to wait.

Result? Perfection! It sounds impossible, I know but this cake is moist, rich, chocolatey, and fluffy--you would never guess how easy it is, or that it has a sandwich condiment as a main ingredient. As I sampled one tiny taste after another, I found myself thinking, "What is mayonnaise, after all, but eggs and oil? Essential ingredients in any good cake!" With each passing bite, the idea of mayo in a cake became a little less outrageous. And with a quick dusting of powdered sugar, you've got a gorgeous, festive party offering that can be whipped up in a pinch.

You may still be skeptical, which I completely understand. Try it out at home first, or make one to bring into the office. I guarantee you it will not last long!

Emergency Chocolate Cake, from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Ingredients:

2 c all-purpose flour

1 1/4 c sugar

3/4 t baking soda

3/4 c cocoa powder

1 1/4 c water

1 c mayonnaise

1 T vanilla extract (I used 1.5 T)

Confectioners' sugar for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat an 8-inch square pan with butter. (I used an 8 inch round pan, the smaller area of which resulted in a cake that puffed up and got crusty like a brownie on the top--I highly recommend it.)

Whisk the flour, sugar, and baking soda together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the cocoa and water together until smooth. Whisk in the mayonnaise and vanilla. Stir the mayonnaise mixture into the flour mixture until combined.

Pour batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few crumbs attached, 35-40 minutes. (It took closer to an hour for me, probably because of the different pan.)

Let cool, turn out onto a serving plate, and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Unveil it to oohs and aahs at your next holiday party, and when they ask how you made it? Give a smile and a wink, and tell them that's your little secret.

A Labor of Love

To me, boiled onions are my mother's signature holiday dish. They compliment all of the many fabulous flavors, from stuffing to potatoes to turkey, and no Thanksgiving would be complete without them. This year, I'll have to wait until Christmas to share this treat with my mom, but today I peeled a few dozen onions for dinner at my in-laws. Many tears were shed in spite of the candle, but every one was worth it to get that priceless taste of home.

Happy Thanksgiving!