Gift Guide: The Foodie

The foodie: my personal favorite kind of person to give gifts to. The possibilities are truly endless, and an added bonus? If you're super lucky, you might get to sample some of the tasty treats that are a product of your gifts.

STOCKING STUFFER...

St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

FIRESIDE READING...

Vintage Books Boxed Set of cook books

EYE--CATCHING ACCESSORY...

Staub pumpkin covered casserole

CAN'T BE GIVEN TOO MANY...

Nudo Straight From the Grove Festive Selection Olive Oil Box

NECESSARY LUXURY...

Neiman Marcus Day Trip to Stone Barns Farm Fantasty Gift

"Gather six friends and head to the farm, where you will participate in a hands-on learning experience. Farmer Jack Algiere will host an edible garden lesson and help participants plot their own home-based garden. Next, you'll receive a cooking demonstration from Chef-Kitchen Director Adam Kaye, followed by a four-course lunch featuring the best seasonal ingredients."

Just In Time

If for some reason, you're in need of a perfectly portable Thanksgiving dessert, look no further than Piece of Cake's Pumpkin Swirled White Chocolate Brownies. If I could find canned pumpkin in this country for less than 10 euro, I would most definitely be making these!

Pumpkin-Swirled White Chocolate Brownies

Makes 12

Use either chocolate chips or chopped bar chocolate here, I won’t judge. My favorite brand of canned pumpkin is Libby’s; it has the most fabulous, vibrant color of any storebought puree I’ve found.

These bars are the ultimate make-ahead dessert–they are infinitely better the day after they’re baked.

For the pumpkin swirl:
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of salt

For the white chocolate brownie batter:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces white chocolate, chips or chopped bar chocolate
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees. Lightly spray an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line it with an 8-inch wide strip or foil or parchment, and lightly spray for extra nonstick insurance.

To make the swirl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, egg, brown sugar, flour, vanilla, spices and salt until smooth. Set aside.

For the batter, sift together the flour and salt into a small bowl. In a large heatproof bowl, combine the white chocolate and the butter. Melt together in the microwave with 30-second bursts of high power, stirring well after each interval. Whisk the in the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Gently stir in the flour mixture just until no dry pockets remain. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Dollop the pumpkin mixture over the batter in five or six equal portions. Use a knife to swirl the pumpkin into the batter with figure-8 motions. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly dry, with a couple moist crumbs, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting and serving (and if you can wait a day to serve them, you will be rewarded with amazing flavor and texture).

* image and recipe via Piece of Cake

When In Rome...

Order bolognese when you see it on the menu. Trust me, it's life-changing. Given my opinion on bolognese in Rome, you can imagine my surprise when I saw that Table + Teaspoon (a cooking blog I'd all but given up on ever posting again) recently wrote about a favorite food memory from Rome all the way back in 2005 that involved not only a restaurant (Cul-de-Sac) that I went to last weekend but also bolognese sauce! I've been searching all over the web for a good recipe to bring home, and while it seems a bit labor intensive, I can't wait to try it out for the holidays!

Ingredients

· 3 pounds ground beef (15% fat content)

· 1 pound ground pork

· 2 cups dry white wine

· 2 cups dry red wine (I used a 2005 Pago de Larrainzar Navarra)

· 6 ounces pancetta

· 6 garlic cloves

· 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

· ½ teaspoon salt (more to taste)

· 2 medium yellow onions

· 2 large stalks celery

· 1 carrot

· 12 ounces tomato paste

· 2 cups broth (or substitute water)

· 8 cups whole milk

· Fresh ground pepper

· Fresh ground nutmeg

Instructions

· Put ground meat into large mixing bowl

· Crumble and loosen using your fingers

· Pour white wine over the meat, and incorporate so that meat is evenly moisturized

· Chop onions, carrots, and celery

· Peel garlic and dice

· Chop pancetta

· Combine pancetta and garlic in a food processor, and process into a fine paste (this is called a “pestata”)

· Heat olive oil in a 10-12-inch diameter heavy bottomed sauce pot, or a 5-quart Dutch Oven

· Over medium-high heat, add pestata, stirring frequently to foster the fat rendering process

· Cook for about three minutes, until the garlic and pancetta are sizzling and a good amount of fat has pooled in the pan

· Add onions, and cook until they start to become slightly translucent

· Add carrots and celery, stir while cooking for about five minutes

· Push vegetables to the side, and add meat to the pan

· Sprinkle salt over the meat

· Give meat a few minutes to brown, and then stir/spread/toss and mix with vegetables until all of the meat browns

· When the meat has emitted a great deal of fat, turn the heat up to high and stir often until the liquid dissipates (this will take about 45 minutes – DO NOT let the meat burn, lower heat if necessary)

· In sauce pans, heat up the milk and broth/water

· Once the meat has been de-liquefied, make a small circle in the middle of the meat, and add the tomato paste so that it may brown for a minute, then stir into the meat

· Add two cups hot milk to meat, and stir

· Grate two tablespoons (about half) of a nutmeg into the meat

· Add red wine, and incorporate completely

· From this point, the Bolognese will take three hours to complete

· Add one cup of milk every twenty minutes

· If the liquid is evaporating too quickly, or you run out of milk add broth

· If the liquid isn’t evaporating quickly enough, turn up heat – but make sure to stir frequently so that portions of the sauce do not stick to the bottom of the pan

· Salt to taste

· Serve over your favorite fresh pasta, and freeze extra sauce for up to three months, buon appetito!

* images and recipe via Table + Teaspoon

Yum Yum: Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I'm a sucker for a good, old-fashioned, chewy oatmeal cookie (bonus points if there are no raisins!). That's why I jumped for joy when I saw Piece of Cake's recipe for chocolate chip oatmeal cake. Because it's basically an oatmeal cookie in cake form, I'm sure it will be 100% devoid of any gross crunchiness that really has no place in an oatmeal cookie (in my humble opinion). Here's the recipe. Bake and enjoy!

For the cake:

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon bourbon, Scotch or other complimentary liquor (see note)
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup rolled oats (not steel cut or quick-cooking)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups boiling water
2 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the cream cheese frosting:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
5 1/2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat it to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter.

In a small bowl, toss the chocolate chips with the liquor, then with 2 tablespoons of flour to evenly coat the chips. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, place the oats and butter. Pour the boiling water over the top. Allow to sit for about 30 seconds, then stir until the butter has melted. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes.

Whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in the cooled oatmeal until well-combined. Fold in the remaining flour, followed by the the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toohtpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour.

To make the frosting, beat together the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla just until combined. Spread on the cooled cake. Chill the cake for about 15 minutes, just to set the frosting before serving.

* recipe and image via Piece of Cake

Summer in a Glass

With summer comes my insatiable craving for basil. Of course, I love it in the typical summer dishes like caprese or corn salad, but I've recently jumped on the basil cocktail train. Before you knock it you simply have to try a sip of the addicting drink that is summer in a glass. Below is a recipe from the Surrey Hotel's "Barefoot in the Park" cocktail via the Tory Burch blog. For good measure, I threw in a photo of the rooftop of the Surrey -- the perfect setting to sip on this refresher.

Barefoot in the Park

* 4 fresh, large basil leaves *

* 1 lime wedge *

* 1/4 oz. Simple Syrup *

* 1 1/2 oz. guava nectar *

* 2 oz. Grey Goose vodka *

* Club soda *

Muddle basil leaves, lime and Simply Syrup in a cocktail shaker. Add vodka and guava nectar. Shake and strain into a classic martini glass. Top with club soda.

* images and recipe via Tory Burch

Foodie Friday: The Ultimate Grilled Cheese

I can't say enough how much I love fried eggs and hate that they rarely make an appearance past breakfast. In fact, whenever I see a non-breakfast item on a menu that has eggs, it takes me less than 2 seconds to make up my mind that that's what I'm ordering. So when I saw this recipe for a grilled cheese sandwich with a fried egg wedged between the bread slices I was sold. I haven't tried out the recipe, but it looks like it would be a perfect throw-together lunch. For any bacon-lovers out there, I think the addition of pancetta would make this sandwich even better. Here's the recipe!

Spinach, Egg, and Manchego Grilled Cheese
From Laura Werlin's Grilled Cheese Please!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon butter, divided, at room temperature
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
8 ounces baby spinach
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 sandwich-size slices sourdough bread
8 ounces of manchego cheese, coarsely grated (or use young pecorino, gouda, or gruyère)
4 large eggs

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook just until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the spinach, cover, and cook, tossing with the tongs occasionally, until wilted but still fairly bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a small plate.
3. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel but do not wash it. Have a small bowl or cup ready.
4. To assemble: Using the remaining butter, butter one side of each slice of bread and lace on your work surface, buttered side down.
5. Using a 1 1/2-inch-diameter biscuit cutter (or grapefruit spoon or knife), cut a 1 1/2-inch hole in the center of each bread slice. Press the cheese evenly onto 4 bread slices around the hole (it may seem like a lot of cheese, but it's actually just the right amount), followed by the spinach mixture. Top with the remaining bread slices, buttered side up.
6. Heat a large nonstick skillet over a medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Put the sandwiches into the skillet (in batches if necessary), cover, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the undersides turn golden brown.
7. Turn the sandwiches, and working quickly, separate 1 egg over the small bowl or cup, allowing the egg white to drip into the cup. Pour the yolk into the hole in the bread and then pour the egg white over it. (If the hole has closed up because the cheese has oozed out, just use a spoon to open it back up again before putting the egg in it.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Cover and cook for 1 to 3 minutes, until the undersides are golden brown and the yolks have begun to set (the egg whites won't have cooked through yet). Carefully turn the sandwiches again (some of the egg white may run off since it is still partially uncooked).
9. Cover and cook for 1 to 3 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. Cut in half diagonally and serve immediately.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

* recipe and image via Yumsugar