Nurturing my inner... practically a dessert vegetable

Maybe you think of your veggies as I often do: leafy, green, mild in flavor and definitely not sweet.  Well, today they may seem a little more like an after dinner dessert than the vegetable you were expecting.  (Vegetables are like women: we're complex and surprising.  Just when you think you've figured us out, boop, we change on you.)

Roasted Acorn Squash With Brown Sugar and Figs

First, I'll step out how to make the base of the squash.

Roasted Acorn Squash

1 medium acorn squash, cut in quarters
Drizzle of olive oil
Dash of salt
Few grinds of pepper
Sprinkle of dried rosemary

Acorn squash is not named after the acorn for really any other reason than it's shaped like one.  I suppose the early botanists were tired that day and fresh out of clever ideas.  (It's squash and looks like an acorn, hey, let's call it acorn squash.  Brilliant.  Write that down quickly.)

Mostly dark green, but some have a yellowish
or orange splotch.

Bust out the sharp knife - you're gonna need it.  Squash has such a tough exterior to protect its inner deliciousness from predators.  (I think perhaps I've been watching too many old TV shows with dinosaurs in them this week.)  Cut it right down the middle.

Looks like the chambers of a heart to me.
(Why yes I do look at life quite uniquely.)

I know I've begged you before not to toss out the seeds.  I'll show you again what to do with them because gosh, they are so darn good and definitely should be a prized part of this dish.  For now, scoop them out and put them into a bowl and off to the side.

Acorn squash has a TON of soon to be
yummy seeds, but not quite yet.

Make sure the inside of each half is totally cleaned out, then cut each in half again to make quarters.  (Or you could just do this in the two original halves.  Your choice.)

Lots of surface area.

Next thing was to add a little olive oil.  I just drizzled it in the center and then rubbed it around to coat all the exposed flesh.  You could also use a traditional pastry brush to do that quite easily if you have one handy.

The oil will help it brown up when it
comes in contact with heat.

I wish I had had fresh rosemary at home at the time.  Alas, I had not.  I wanted the flavor of rosemary, but knew that dried could be tough to chew.  So I decided I would put the dried rosemary on the quarters, so it would flavor the squash while cooking, then I would scrape it off later.  (I always feel this weird need to be fully honest with you.)

Yes, it's second best, but I used it anyway
because I wanted the flavor.

Sprinkle salt, pepper and then the dried rosemary on top of each quarter.  Then into the oven on 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  Just to get the roasting process started.

You're ready for the oven, round 1.

On to the other part of the recipe.

Squash, while it can be slightly sweet, is not outrageously so... until you jack up the flavor like I did!  Hello light brown sugar, you are very welcome here.  (Though, you could use dark brown if you'd like, I just wanted a slightly milder flavor.)

Brown Sugar Paste and Figs

1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tbsp butter, softened
1/4 tsp sweet curry powder (Penzeys, of course)
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste (Madagascar, the good stuff)
6 dried figs, diced

Light, dark, or anything in
between, use what you like.

When measuring out brown sugar of any kind, you just lightly pack it.  It has a special consistency and needs a bit of extra TLC.

You know already this is going to be good
with this flavor involved.

With sugar, comes spice.  Makes everything nice.  (Says this little girl.)  Cinnamon goes in.

Butter already in the bowl.

This is where it gets exotic.  Adding a few possibly unusual (to you) items: Vanilla bean paste and sweet curry powder.

I've grown to adore putting this couple together.
They get along well. It's real love.

Add both to the same bowl.

See all the little bean flecks? Love them!

Take a spoon and mix it all together.  You're going for a paste like consistency.

Like spackle, only tastes oh SO much better.

I was thinking of other seasonal items and decided I wanted to add something equally matching in sweetness.  Perhaps even chewy.  Off to the pantry I went (meaning I stepped over two feet from where I was standing as I have a small kitchen) for some sort of dried fruit, as that was my inkling and I trust my gut.  I spotted dried figs and my search was over immediately.

Oh yes, a great find!

To prepare, just chop off the hard stem at the top...

One chop.

...and then dice into smaller pieces.  Small enough so the figs don't compete with the squash, yet large enough so the pieces are not lost.  I like to be able to easily see what's in my meal.

Each fig ended up in about a dozen pieces.

I removed the squash from the oven and because I used dried rosemary as mentioned before and I thought it would be a little tough to chew, so I scraped it out lightly with a spoon.  A few stragglers were left behind, but no big deal.  If it had been fresh rosemary instead, I would have left it all.  (Shame on me for not having it at home, but I also like to show you how you can't let perfection stand in the way of trying.)

I put a quarter of the diced figs in each orange canoe.  (Admit it, that's what they look like.)

Like little people going for a boat ride.

On top of the figs, add the brown sugar paste mixture.  A quarter of it in each wedge.  Use less if you prefer it not quite as sweet.  But I was going for broke this time!

Add as much or as little as you'd like.
In for Round 2.

Back in the oven it went for another 25 or so minutes.  Focus returns to the seeds.

Clean off all squash gut remnants and rinse under water.  Drain in a colander.  Lay out to dry off slightly.  Pat with a clean paper towel.

Just trying to get some of the water off.

Put seeds into a bowl.

Toasted Squash Seeds

1 tsp of olive oil
2 tsps light brown sugar
1/4 tsp sweet curry powder
1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste
Dash of salt

Add all that into the seeds and mix them up.  Should be like a syrup type of coating.

Make sure all are well-coated.

Spread out evenly and slightly spaced out in as much of a single layer as possible on a foil-lined pan.



Try to give them some space. 
(It's not you, it's them.)


For the last 10 minutes you are baking the squash, put the seeds in the oven on the other rack.  Check them every few minutes to make sure they don't burn.  Stir around half way through.

Special note: I heard a strange hissing noise, then what sounded like gun fire.  At first I was concerned that my neighborhood had really gone downhill and was ready to drop to the floor for safety, but then I realized it was inside my oven.  Some of the seeds will pop as the steam inside of them expands their shell.  Do not call the police!  You're okay!

Yeah, I'd say they are done. Note the
golden brown color.

Take the squash out of the oven, which should be fork tender.  If not, put it back in until it is.

The paste has now melted and saturated
the squash.

Before I forget, when you take the toasted seeds out of the oven, put them on a plate until they cool and then when they harden, you can put them in a bowl.  If you leave them on the foil, they will stick like the dickens!  (Whatever that means.)  Because the mixture you made for them gets all carmely and then hardens into a sweet coating, like a shell, which can affix them tightly to the foil, never to let it go.  I will tell you this as well, and this is the most important thing: they taste like candy!  I had a hard time not munching on some (all of them) before I plated my squash.  I could eat a bucket of these!  And once you make them, you'll feel the exact same way!  (I would bag these and sell them, if I knew how.)

Wish I had these in my house every day!
No wait, that might be a bad idea,
because I'd eat them by the fist full!

Toss a smattering of toasted seeds on a plate, add a wedge of squash and grab a spoon.  Scoop out the squash to eat.  The green rind will come off easily after roasting.

Yes, I did take out the red dotted Christmas
plates just for this.

So sweet and warm, with all the flavors you'd expect and yet a hint of something you wouldn't with the curry.  I nearly put vanilla ice cream on it and called it a substitute for pie.  Hmm, actually, that sounds like a great idea for next time!

Nurturing my inner... annual fall wine tasting

This is the third time I've hosted an official wine tasting.  It started a few years ago as "Wine 101: Introduction to the Basics."  I had lots of friends who either didn't drink much wine because they didn't know what made one better than another or people who did drink wine and just wanted to be introduced to new varietals and styles.  They were excellent little students and it was such a great time of learning, people asked me to do it again.  Here's a little sample of what we covered:

101 began with an introduction of how to see, smell and taste wine.  We talked about "legs," aka the glycerin or sugar content and how to describe the flavors, such as hints of pepper, citrus, mineral or wood.  I took the predominantly white whiners (ha!) and brought them into the illustrious world of reds with some tried and true light-bodied cross overs, and brought red wine drinkers back to the light with some dry and delicate rosés.  Even had them take a sip of a rich red, then eat a bite of dark chocolate and try the wine again to show how the flavor profile changes with food pairings.

201 brought a selection of regions and comparisons of similar wine types made in different countries.  Paying special attention as well to some of my very favorite wines: 2005 Riojas from Spain.

301 featured wines I had picked up in recent months and particularly enjoyed.  Sometimes it's just that simple.  Serve what you like.

The night's options on my friend's buffet.
Love her lamps.

I've figured out what makes a wine tasting great.  This is what I do:

1.) I put together a small excel spreadsheet of the wines we'll be sampling that evening and give a copy to every guest.  Organized by Wine Name, Type, Region/Country, Year, Price and then I leave an empty box for Rate.  My method of rating came about when I used to go to Balducci's wine tastings on Saturday mornings when they had a store in Reston.  (I was DEVASTATED when they closed some years ago and am still recovering from that local loss.)  I found that when there were 60 potential options, I wouldn't remember which ones I liked.  Or didn't like.  So I developed a code to make it foolproof.  I put a . (dot) in that space near the wine if I tried it, a - (minus) if I didn't like it, a check if I liked it and a + (plus) if I loved it.  That way, by the end of the tasting, I was clear on who the real winners were.  (Hiccup.)





Simple wine grid.

 
2.) I have everyone bring an appetizer.  You can also add up the wine and divide the cost by the number of people who will be sampling, which I did the first time.  But decided this year it would be my treat as the substitute for my Christmas party, since parking is an issue where I live.  (That's why my friend offered to host.  Don't you love her wonderful table decor?  You can get more great, and financially wise, decorating tips from her blog: http://ahomeblog.blogspot.com/)

Like out of a cozy home magazine. Love
those apothecary jars.

Everyone brought amazing dishes.  I am always impressed how the girls go all out for this.  The tastes and presentations were so professional and made for a delightful evening from start to finish.



Appearance is as important as flavor.
You eat with your eyes first.



3.) And this is the part they all love.  I shop year round (at places like TJ Maxx and Home Goods) for bargains on fun little items: small cookbooks, dish towels, Christmas cookie plates, candles, soaps, mini cutting boards, small colanders, colored pairing knives.  I put some of them together in little bundles wrapped in colored cellophane.  When the girls arrive, I put all their names in a small basket and then throughout the night I have someone draw a name, maybe every 30 minutes, and they get a surprise bundle.  They are always so full of anticipation, waiting to see what little treasure the next winner will receive.  Not everyone wins something, but that's part of the fun.  Maybe they'll be a winner next year.  (Though one friend won again this year and I had her in charge of writing the names down, so maybe she wrote her name down 10 times!  I guess I'll have to watch her more closely next year.)

I have as much fun shopping for the gifts
as the girls do winning them!

The wine tasting is always such a fun-filled night, that we decided to make it an annual Fall event.  It's a fun way to kick off the holiday season and get all of us together before everyone gets so busy or is out of town.  My friends enjoy a girls' night out (thanks to the husbands for watching their kids - you guys are the best!) and then each has some new wine options to include at their seasonal dinner events.  Not to mention clever appetizer ideas.  How's that for a good time!  (I already started picking up gifts for next year's raffle even.  I know, I can't help myself!  Might have to start having an annual Spring wine tasting too!)

Nurturing my inner... unusual flavors

A magazine I was reading recently had a website for Japanese candy.  The fun part about the candy was that it advertised many flavors of Kit Kats.  http://napajapan.com/Products.asp.  Oh, not your garden variety, American flavors, but really, REALLY, strange ones: Mango pudding, fizzy white soda, sour orange, banana, apple vinegar, sweet potato, soy sauce, royal milk tea, green tea, strawberry, blueberry, chestnut, spicy chili pepper, miso, cheesecake, melon, roasted corn and wasabi!  (These are not made up.)

Different cultures prefer different flavors than we do.  (As is blatantly obvious from above.)  What we might consider weird or downright unappetising, they think of as ordinary or ideal.  Today's dish may be slightly unusual to your tastebuds, but it wouldn't be if you were halfway across the world.

Tangy Stir Fry Cabbage

1 small head of cabbage, sliced
2 tsp vegetable or canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 shallot, sliced
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp Teriyaki sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp hot chili peppers
Sesame seeds, toasted

I didn't want to make a ton of it, so I had a small head of regular cabbage.  You could also use Napa cabbage instead.

About the size of a large grapefruit
or a softball.

Slice the cabbage in half and take out the bottom core.



Like a green rainbow. Dark to light inside.

 Then slice the cabbage in strips.

So crispy, I'd be tempted to make coleslaw.

I broke it up as I washed it.  The leaves are so tightly packed.  (How does nature do it?)

Biteable pieces.

I had thought to myself, if I had sesame oil I would have used it.  But I didn't.  However, I remembered I did have sesame seeds.  So I thought I could get the same flavor just a different way.

Raw seeds.

You don't eat sesame seeds raw though. Gotta toast them.  Place them in a shallow pan, but don't put the heat up too high.  They will toast quickly and you have to watch them closely.

Single layer, dry pan.

In just a couple quick minutes, with some minor shaking, you'll have lightly toasted sesame seeds.  The natural oils come out with the heat and with that, the flavor is enhanced.  Put them aside to use later.

Smells just like sesame seed oil.

These were the flavors I did have.  Typical Asian ingredients.

Simple flavor combination that makes
the dish authentically Asian.

And what would an Asian dish be without garlic and fresh ginger?  Well, one I don't want to know about.

Minced up a little of each.

Why not add some shallots too, while I was at it.  It's like cooking Improv!

All in a pan with the canola oil.

After these ingredients began to soften and become translucent, I added all the cabbage and gave it a good stir to make sure all the pieces were coated.  Then I put in the rice wine vinegar.

This would be the tangy part, so be careful
not to overdo it or you'll pucker.

To balance out the tangyness, a little salt and sweet needed to be added.  Some soy sauce, Teriyaki and sugar will do just that.

Watch the color change.

I'm sure you could call it quits right now, but I love the hot chili peppers you get at the Chinese places and enjoy some heat.  (Some like it hot!  I am that some.)  I had extra hot peppers left over from recent take out.  No need to buy what I already had available.

Even comes pretty much premeasured for me.

After the cabbage is tender, and that really is to your own liking, it's basically done and lastly, the hot peppers get added in and tossed about quickly.

Adding them in...

...tossing about quickly.

Place in a dish, I used my square, Asian-inspired one with grooves at the top to hold my chopsticks and sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds you made earlier on top.

Piled up high.

This isn't the type of dish you eat on its own. It's more of an enhancer to a main protein. I prefer it with teriyaki chicken. Nothin' fancy.

It's good to be open to different flavors and take some cooking lessons from other cultures.  You just might find you like something completely different than you've ever had before. 

Nurturing my inner... small town bistro

Last month I took a little trip out about an hour from here on the invitation of a coworker/friend.  She knew of my interest in organic dining and had the perfect place for us to go not far from where she lived.  It was nice to escape to a less busy area than where I park my car every night, yet only have gone about 45 miles door to door.  With a packed two day itinerary, I'll start my relaying of information with dinner the first night.

Seeing as this was specifically an organic farm-themed boondoggle, naturally (to her) that brought us to Dish in Charleston, West Virginia.  (She had been before with her husband and friends, so she already knew it was amazing.)  It always strikes me as so odd how West Virginia is not really that far away.

Graphically hip sign for starters.

I wasn't sure what to expect, well, this far out.  But because I hear there is a race track nearby, this small town area has drawn a lot of people in recent years.  If there's one thing we learned from Las Vegas, where there is gambling, there is some good eating.  Nice to know those people have discerning taste.  (Well, maybe not with the gambling, but with the restaurants.)

On the menu, this caught my eye:

"At Dish, we strive to create each meal around the wealth of local ingredients found only miles from the restaurant in the lush valleys, mountains, and rolling farmlands of West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

We are committed to the amazing farmers, ranchers, and others who make the region so special.  As we continue to face rising food and fuel prices, global uncertainty, and shortages, the notion of local economies becomes not a nice-to-do, but a need-to-do.  Buy local.  Be Local."

I think it's great how more places are learning to rely on local farmers instead of shipping food from across the nation or the world.  That ensures the freshest meal ends up on the end of your fork that night.

A menu, a philosophy. It was both.

The decor was playful, yet minimalistic.  And they had a couple playing jazz music at the entrance.  Delightful.

Clouds on the ceiling! So peaceful.

Let's get to it.  We split an appetizer.  Stuffed mushrooms with blue cheese dipping sauce.

Crunchy topping.

Of course, we had to have a little wine to enhance the food.

Can't go wrong with a Cab.

I opted for grilled salmon over a bed of wilted spinach with golden raisins and pignolis, with pumpkin risotto.  Fantastic!  The sauce was lightly sweet.

Just a light taste of pumpkin in the risotto,
incredible! Salmon perfectly cooked.

My local guide for the weekend got the paella.

Yes, that's sausage. Lots of great flavor.

Though we were full, we couldn't not get dessert.  To even suggest we'd consider skipping it would be a ridiculous thought.  I didn't entertain it for a second.  Here was my choice:

White chocolate, cranberry bread pudding.
Warm, gooey, comforting.

And I had a bite of hers too!  (Yeah, you knew that was coming.)

Personal apple pie with vanilla bean ice cream.
The crust was indescribable.

Uh, could I have been more full?  Answer = no.  Dish truly delivered.  It was a fabulous meal from start to finish and I think it's absolutely wonderful that a dinner like this could be found off the beaten path in a little town in West Virginia.  Just goes to show you, you can find fantastic, organic places all over, in every state.  All you have to do is look for them.  (Or have your coworker do the research for you and then you just get to tag long and enjoy!)