A Battle Well Fought

Last night I accompanied Tim to a work dinner at the Boathouse.  When we arrived home, the sun had already set and a warm rain had just begun to fall.  As I stepped out of the car, I opened my hands to feel the drops and a memory came back to me like lightening.

The summer before Tim and I met was a bit of a low point for me.  I wasn't entirely happy with my employment and I was lonely.  I was still recovering from a broken heart that had lingered for over two years without healing; back then I had begun to wonder if I would ever feel happy again.  One evening, I think it was a Thursday night, I came home from a work function after dark and stood next to my car in a warm August rain.  It was like I was in some sort of trance, soon completely drenched, and I couldn't will any of my limbs to move.  It was one of those strange moments where I felt outside myself, as if watching someone else contemplate how to fix all cracks in her life.  I must have stood there for a half an hour while the rain fell until a car turned down the street and I snapped back to the present.

I met Tim two months later.

We married a little over two years after that.

And now, three and a half years later, we are expecting a baby soon.

I share all of this with you because every time the baby moves around, stretching his or her limbs, I can't believe how wonderful life can be.  Even I can see all of the differences between the woman I am now and the girl I was back then.  And as I approach my 30th birthday next week, I can whole-heartedly say good-bye to my 20s and all of the struggles and opportunities they presented me.  Last August, I committed (publicly, on this blog!) to living out my 29th year like a Victory Lap, and I think I have spent this time proving to myself that my 20s were a battle well fought.

What about you?  Are you fighting for your life?  I hope you win.  You deserve it.

Monday Links: Gluten Free Beers

Can I just say that 2012 has been my best year ever so far?  I feel healthy, I have so much love, and I am filling my life with wonderful moments.  In fact, just last week when the temperature topped at 65 degrees and the sun was warm on my face, Tim and I sat on our patio, listening to a Spotify playlist that I made for him, a cold beer in front of each of us, and chatted about our days.

Welcome back to my life, Beer.  You are most welcome to keep coming around.

If you are looking for a gluten free beer for yourself or if you'd like to buy something special for when a gluten free friend or family member comes over for dinner, I recommend any of these options.

My very favorite beer is Green's Gluten Free Amber Ale (pictured above).  I ordered it this past weekend at Brazenhead and even my husband agreed that it was a fantastic option as far as gluten free goes.  It really has a smooth, rich taste without being too heavy and no metallic aftertaste.  (Also, I'm so pleased that Brazenhead had several options for gluten free customers including a few gluten free beers and several ciders on tap.  Way to go, Brazenhead!)

I also tried Green's Gluten Free Dark Ale at Dilly Cafe, and I was impressed that it was just as dark and thick as a Guinness.  It had a strong chocolate and coffee flavor at the first taste but finished didn't leave a heavy or sticky mouthfeel.  I thought it was awesome to have the option of a serious dark beer, but I'd prefer it as an after dinner drink rather than something to pair with food.  

Also discovered at Dilly Cafe is DogFish Head Tweason'ale.  It's a seasonal gluten free beer that has a lovely scent of strawberries on the nose but is not overly sweet on the palate.  Also, the strawberry flavor doesn't last much after the first sip, and I appreciated that as I don't usually like my beers too fruity.  It's a medium bodied beer, very refreshing and would pair wonderfully with some simple roast chicken or a salad.  If you can find it, I'd definitely recommend seeking this out!

A big thank you to the Cincy Beer Festival for including New Planet Gluten Free Beer in their vendor list.  I discovered this beer there and all of the selections offered were wonderful.  I particularly liked their lightest beer, the Tread Lightly Ale.  It's the perfect backyard barbeque beer, and it's light enough that it would probably be unnoticeable to any non-gluten free beer drinks that it's missing the gluten!  Locally, it can be found at the Dorothy Lane Markets in Dayton, and trust me--it's worth the drive to check out DLM and get this beer!  (I picked up some on Saturday and it was stacked in front of the beer coolers.)

Lastly, I might as well tell you that in just about every well stocked Kroger that I've been into around Cincinnati, you can find Anheuser-Busch's gluten free beer offering, Redbridge.  It's not my favorite--just like Bud Light was never my favorite--but in a pinch, it's easy to find, not too expensive, and definitely drinkable.  I've picked some up when I just wanted a convenient choice.

I truly appreciate every single one of these companies for pioneering--or jumping on the bandwagon of--gluten free beers!  You all get a big thumbs up from me.

To my gluten free readers, am I missing any of your favorites?

A Date to Dilly Deli

Tim and I have been doing a little dating lately--dating each other, of course.  I've learned over the past 2.5 years of our marriage (and over 5 years since we met) that relationships take real work.  A good marriage does not just happen to us--we create it for ourselves. That's where dating comes in.

During December, we went on all sorts of dates.  We went to the movies; I loved My Week with Marilyn (and Tim liked it, too).  On another night we got Starbucks and drove through a park decorated with Christmas lights.  We also went out to dinner at Dilly Deli and realized that I could eat so many things on the menu that we went back again two weeks later. 

We ordered a basket of sweet potato fries as an appetizer (both times) and it was served with creamy, sweet apple butter.  This is a perfect starter because it is not too filling and it's light in flavor so as not to leave an after taste. I especially appreciated that because my entree was full of strong flavors. 

Tim ordered the crab cakes and I ordered cioppino.  The mahi mahi was firm and flaky and the shrimp, crab, and mussels were cooked perfectly.  I loved my entree. 

After dinner we walked quietly to the car holding hands.  This was a really excellent date.   

(please forgive the grainy pics--I only had my iPhone with me!)

A Short Season

We've spent some time the past few weeks readying the yard and garden bed for winter.  Melissa and I pulled most of the remaining vegetable plants using a combination of hedge trimmers and brute force.  Tim opted to wait until most of the leaves dropped from the trees (save a few hangers on) and mow over them rather than rake them in piles.  It seems to have been the right decision because when he finished I could hardly believe how all of the leaves were gone.  It felt like the end of fall.  It's such a short season, isn't it?

My potted oregano plant had an unexpected growth spurt during the month of November.  I took my kitchen shears to it and ended up with a huge bowl of clippings.  After washing and drying them, I wrapped two small handfuls in paper towels and put them into the refrigerator.  I'm hoping for some oregano inspiration this week to use those up.  I considered drying the rest but settled on making a batch of oregano pesto; Heidi's post last week about making some had been stuck in my head since I read it. 

It was easy enough to throw together; picking the leaves from the woody stems was the most tedious part of the process.  The sun had long gone down by the time I got around to tossing all of the ingredients into the food processor so I didn't get a picture of the pre-frozen product.  But this pesto, when freshly made, is the color of a Christmas tree.  It was deep green and studded with little bits of garlic and pine nuts.  The flavor is fresh and bright from the parsley but the hints of oregano gave it a warm, wintry flavor.  It could possibly be my favorite pesto ever. 

I froze the pesto in an empty ice cube tray and then combined the frozen cubes in a labeled zip lock bag.  It made about 12 ice cubes which really is quite a bit when you think about how much flavor just a tablespoon of pesto can pack.  What will I do with all of this pesto?  When thawed, I figure I can spread it on bread as a condiment for sandwiches.  I can drizzle it over a pasta with bright tomato sauce for extra herby flavor.  I can spoon it over grilled meats or vegetables.  I think it might even be good on a baked potato.

Oregano Pesto
adapted from 101 cookbooks
makes about 1 cup of pesto

1.5 cups of loosely packed fresh oregano
1.5 cups of loosely packed fresh parsley
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup of toasted pine nuts, cooled
3/4 to 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt to taste

Add the oregano, parsley, garlic, and pine nuts to a food processor.  Pulse a few times to slightly chop.  Then pour in the olive oil, starting with just 3/4 cup, and process, adding more olive oil if needed to reach your desired consistency.  There should be some texture, but the pesto should be a fine sauce.  Add salt, starting with 1/2 teaspoon, and adjust to taste. 

Pesto can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for 3-4 days or frozen for several months.

Bread, My Love

I was all set to do a post about preparing the home for Thanksgiving where I was going to tell you how Tim and I got serious on our clutter this weekend, but then bread happened.  Yes, bread.

As I told you we would, we spent Saturday morning acting like tourists around downtown Cincinnati, snapping pictures of Findlay Market and then of the incredible gardens at Krohn Conservatory.  Tim teased me a little bit, calling me the paparazzi, but once I handed the camera over to him at the Conservatory to take photos of the Orchid House, he started to really get into taking pictures.  I think he took a picture of every single orchid in the installation.  Every. Single. One. 

When we got home, Tim settled in to watch college football and I took up my post in the kitchen, experimentally baking, as I told you I would.  My lofty dream of re-creating a family favorite dessert went south--quickly--as just about everything went wrong.  Then I mixed up the dough for gluten-free, egg-free baguettes and that seemed to flop as well.  My pre-ground flax, when mixed with water, wasn't gelling the way it was supposed to do and the dough was off.  It wasn't until I baked up some gluten-free, vegan, soy-free chocolate chip blondies that I felt like I was getting my baking mojo back.  I was ready for round two of bread-making.

I followed the directions on the Artisan Bread in 5 Blog exactly as written, even grinding my own whole flax seed to fine powder for an egg-replacer, and said a small prayer over the mixing bowl.  As we waited for it to rise, we tackled some clutter (all inspired by Tracy's post on the Homefries blog) by decluttering the living room bookshelf and then emptying out our cabinet with the lazy-susan and ridding ourselves of half full bags of dried cranberries.  It felt great to tame our overflowing cabinet, and as a reward for our efforts, the universe cooperated, allowing the stars to align, and our dough rose perfectly.

After we chilled it, formed the baguette shapes (a delicate procedure when working with somewhat goopy, squishy gluten-free dough), and let them rest for another 40 minutes, I finally popped them into a hot oven to bake. 

The house smelled like warm, yeasty bread.  A smell so missed that I think I had hidden my longing for it deep inside so that even I couldn't recognize it until the smell of a bread I could actually eat awoke it.  I could only think, Oh bread, my love, this is our reunion!

It's been over 5 weeks since I've eaten bread that even remotely reminded me of bread. This bread was divine.  Even Tim said that it was so similar to traditional bread that he was pleasantly surprised.  The outside was firm and crisp, the inside was slightly fluffy with a little bit of the trademark bready chew.

Should you decide to make this bread for yourself or a gluten-free loved one, I do have a few tips.  Wait until the bread has cooled completely before eating it.  If you break it open too soon, the inside might be a little squishy.  It tastes perfectly wonderful at room temperature and has more traditional bread-like structure.  Also, I didn't top it with the seeds as shown in the original recipe, but I think seeds would be an excellent addition to the bread.  Lastly--and this is the most important--you can't swap out any of the ingredients and expect the same result.  For the best gluten-free bread, use the King Arthur Flour mixes exactly as listed.  I can purchase KAF Gluten Free Multi-Purpose Flour at Whole Foods and possibly my local supermarket, but I had to order the KAF Ancient Grains Flour from the KAF website.

Happy baking!

(And if you missed it, you can find the recipe with step-by-step photos for Gluten-free, Egg-free Baguettes here.)

Brown Dog Cafe and a New Friend

A few weeks ago, I got an email from a blogging acquaintance, Sharon from Eggplant To Go, asking me if I'd like to join her for dinner.  Cincinnati's Restaurant Week was coming up, and she had reservations that she had made with a friend who was no longer able to go.  Not wanting to miss out on a chance to try a new restaurant, Sharon wondered if I'd like to join her.

Let me just say that I am so thankful that Sharon reached out to me.  I have always considered Sharon to be such an interesting writer on her blog, always uncovering new food trends in Cincinnati, and she shares my love for Top Chef.  And as an adult, it's harder than I ever expected to make new friends.  I'm not from Cincinnati so I don't have a built in group of friends here.  I love my husband dearly, but he understands that I like to be busy and social.  I was involved in a Ladies Wine group, but most of the members moved away so it sort of fizzled out.

Sharon reached out to me on the perfect day with the perfect invitation--dinner at Brown Dog Cafe.

I had never eaten here before so I arrived a little early.  I was surprised that the restaurant is located in a small strip mall type location at the Pfeiffer Road exit off Interstate 71.  The inside of the restaurant has a sort of upscale lounge feel with a nice wooden bar where I could see myself coming back and sitting on a stool for a glass of wine.  There was a mix of booths and tables, and we were seated just around the corner in a little section of tables.  It was cozy and comfortable; I found the atmosphere appropriate for a date, dinner with the in-laws, and even a business dinner.

When Sharon arrived I immediately stood up to give her a hug.  I instantly knew it was going to be a very nice dinner.  She allowed me to choose the wine for dinner, and I found that the wine list was well rounded with a nice selection of glass pours and bottles at varying prices and types.

Our server brought us the restaurant week menu, which included the option of choosing an appetizer, salad, and entree.  All of the choices were interesting and sounded delicious.

I started out with a Sea Dog for my appetizer.  It was a seafood sausage served on a bun with a spicy sauce, sort of a play on a lobster roll.  It was incredibly good, and I inquired of our server where the sea dog was sourced from.  She confirmed Sharon's suspicion that it was from Lobsta Bakes of Maine.  I know my husband would love this, and I want to buy some of these directly from Lobsta Bakes sometime soon.

My second course was a pickled beet salad with goat cheese.  The beets were sweet and vinegary and a perfect pairing with the creamy goat cheese.  Beets are such an under-appreciated root vegetable, aren't they?

For my entree I had a duo of incredible lamb chops that had a crispy, salty crust.  They were served over cripsy potato wedges and asparagus.  The chops weren't heavy or game-y but light and juicy.  And seriously awesome.  I would order this again and again.

Overall dinner was fantastic.  We polished off a bottle of wine and talked about everything under the sun.  Sharon is one of those people that I think I could always find something to talk about with, and I really appreciate that in a dining partner.  I hope to see you again soon, Sharon!

Free Canning Class at Findlay Market

I saw this great event advertised on Twitter and wanted to make sure my local readers heard about it.  I will be going to this on Sunday, September 11 and would love to meet you!  Please track me down if you attend.
 
Findlay Market and the OSU Extension present  two classes on the art of canning!  Classes take place in the OTR Biergarten and in the event of rain will take place in the Internet Cafe.   Betsy Dematteo, Family & Consumer Science Program Coordinator at Ohio State University Extension, Hamilton County will be the instructor. This class is offered FREE of charge!

Sunday, September 11th      2:00pm      Apple Preserves
Saturday, September 17th 10:00am      Apple/Maple Jam

Planning to can or want to start canning? Whether you are a gardener preserving your harvest or a shopper who likes to make fancy jams and gifts, this workshop is for you!  Beginners and experienced canners will both want to learn what is new in canning recommendations. Updates to equipment and canning recipes will change your results!  Come learn how to can safely and effectively, and become confident to can in your own kitchen! 

To register, contact Betsy at 513.946.8994 or at dematteo.15@osu.edu.  

I've Got a Birthday To Celebrate

On my 16th birthday my sister left for her freshman year of college.  I stood in our kitchen at six o'clock in the morning, surrounded by her packed bags, with the members of my family rushing around the house to make sure nothing was left behind, and it didn't feel like a birthday to me.  Of course, it wasn't the norm for how my birthdays were spent, but it can be hard to have a birthday so close to the back-to-school rush.  Even now that I'm out of school, I still sometimes want to tell everyone to wait-just-a-minute and stop rushing through August! because I've got a birthday to celebrate. 

Tim understands this because his birthday falls near Labor Day so there is the same guilt associated with wanting to make a to-do about getting a year older.  There are always friends on weekend trips away or spending time with family.  It's hard for either of us to assert ourselves and ask for attention.  So we do that for each other.  We get how the other feels. 

For my birthday, Tim went overboard.  He bought me a beautiful fragrance to replace the one I broke (dropped it on the bathroom tile) and he made dinner reservations somewhere he knew I'd want to go.  He didn't tell me at first where we were going, but he's terrible at keeping a secret and eventually confessed.  We were going to Jean-Robert's Table, and I was so excited.  Back when I worked in wine sales, I met Jean-Robert de Cavel at a few parties a mutual friend hosted.  He is jovial and interesting to talk to and everyone flocked to him.  That kind of personality can draw a crowd at a party or to his restaurants, and it makes you wonder why this French ex-pat has chosen Cincinnati as his home. But he came here along while ago and never left.  I'm especially grateful now that I've eaten at Table.  I will go back there again and again.

We had an excellent dinner, and perhaps Tim encouraging me to finish the bottle of wine is partly to blame for no documentation of our food.  Everything we ate was fantastic (Tim had steak and I had duck), but trust me when I say, I didn't need pictures to remember our Heirloom Tomato Salad appetizer.  It was a special, not on the regular menu, and as soon as our waitress began to describe it I had already decided to order it. 

I recreated it at home simply because I needed to eat it again.  The soft cheese served with the salad was the perfect foil to the acid.  This salad is for all of the summer-tomato-lovers out there, and tomato discrimination is not allowed; you'll need a good mix of types and sizes to capture the essence of it.  Also, everything added to the tomatoes is merely there to make it all more tomato-ey.  It's simple.  It's fresh.  It's summer.  Tomatoes will now always make me think of my birthday.

I owe Tim for helping me create new, positive birthday memories--it's harder to do than it seems and he excels tremendously at it.  

Heirloom Tomato Salad
inspired by Jean-Robert's Table
serves 4-6, depending if it is served as a light lunch or an appetizer/side dish

I purchased all of the tomatoes for this salad from the Landen Deerfield Township farmer's market, which is held every Saturday during the summer and continues on occasionally throughout the winter.  For heirloom tomatoes, I am particularly drawn to booth hosted by That Guy's Family Farm.  Guy seems to have the biggest variety of heirlooms, including little yellow plum tomatoes, beautiful multi-colored cherry tomatoes, and an incredible green-striped salad tomato that I wish I could remember the name of.  We also sliced up a big Mr. Stripey from our garden for even more size variance and sweeter flavor. 

If you can't find herb goat cheese at your local market, you can always chop up fresh herbs and mix them in with plain goat cheese.  I'd recommend soft-leaf herbs like parsley, dill, basil, and oregano; add no more than a tablespoon total of herbs. 

At Table we had this salad with French bread but at home I decided to make Flatbread with Honey, Thyme, and Sea Salt from a recipe I found on Smitten Kitchen.  It was really simple to make and I highly recommend it. 

Ingredients
~3 lbs of heirloom tomatoes, a variety of sizes and colors
1/2 tsp kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
4-5 leaves of fresh basil
3 oz soft herb goat cheese
crusty bread like baguette or flatbread

Slice the largest tomatoes across like thick sandwich slices.  Cut the medium size tomatoes into quarters or sixths so that you have wedges.  Depending on the size, halve cherry tomatoes or leave the littlest ones whole.  Put all tomatoes in a medium size bowl and toss with the salt and pepper.  Allow to sit for 10minutes to draw out some of the juice of the tomatoes.

Add the olive oil and vinegar and lightly toss.  Transfer mixture, including accumulated juices onto a serving tray.   Chiffonade the basil and sprinkle over salad.  Serve the herb goat cheese on the side with bread.

Build the best bite by putting a smudge of the goat cheese the bread with a juicy tomato on top. 

Summer Standoff

Summer and I have been in a bit of a standoff.  Summer has been holding out on me--forcing me to wait until AUGUST for the good, fresh, local produce.  In fact, when I heard from a friend that local corn was making it's way to the supermarket, my first thought was, "finally!" (Insert childish foot stomping.)

Is it just my imagination or did that early summer rain really push everything back a few weeks?  I am trying to remember when it was that I bought fresh corn last year, but I didn't blog about it and you should really know by now that my memory cannot be trusted.  It's been so hot in southwest Ohio that it's felt like the peak of summer for a few weeks now, and my patience was wearing thin. 

Earlier this week I stopped by my parents' house to have lunch with my mom and borrow an air mattress for my upcoming trip to Chicago.  While I was there I mentioned the corn was ready at Fulton Farms, just outside of town, and she suggested we go pick some up.  The drive from their house to the farm took me past nearly all of the important landmarks of my youth; the high school football field, the now-closed Mayflower movie theater, and the intersection where I rear-ended my high school boyfriend's car.  There are some things I will never forget!

When we arrived, the corn was piled up on wagons at the back of the little market.  There were people crowded around it, shucking their corn on site and stuffing shopping bags full of cobs.  My mom and I squeezed into a spot along one side of a wagon and opted to keep the husks on in case we wanted to grill the corn.  I purchased more than I would need so I could blanch and freeze some extra.  The result of my imagined summer-standoff has been preserving summer vegetables in any way I can. 

For dinner, I decided to throw together a quick summer salad using the corn.  I simply blanched two of the corn cobs and then cut off the corn.  Then I tossed it with some halved cherry tomatoes, torn cilantro, olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper.  Letting it sit for ten or fifteen minutes before eating it allowed the juice of the tomato and fresh corn to be drawn out by the salt and mix with the oil and vinegar.  We ate it as a side dish the first night and then on top of grilled fish the second.  I'm not offering an exact recipe here because it's all to taste and the substitutions are endless.  No cilantro?  Use parsley or basil. Instead of the vinegar, squeeze in some fresh lime juice.  Want it spicy?  Add a minced jalapeno. 

Eat up as much summer as you can while it lasts. 

Wyoming Avenue Farmer's Market

Weekends seem to be the most popular days for farmer's markets out here in the Cincinnati suburbs.  Our Saturday's have been filled to the brim with activities and committments that we haven't made it to a single market this summer.  I miss them--and we went often last summer--so when I suggested to Tim that we go to the Wyoming Avenue Farmer's Market on Tuesday, he quickly agreed.

There were a half dozen or so vendors, with various products ranging from gelato to baked goods to fresh produce.  Tim picked out a few watermelon zucchini, some summer squash, and raspberries.  I was looking for some pickling cucumbers but when I asked a vendor she smiled and told me what I already knew--the cold, rainy spring weather has put most of the vegetables back 2 or 3 weeks or maybe more.  I smiled back and told her that I'd return to buy a bunch in a few weeks.  And I meant it. 

Tim's favorite vendor was the Fire Side Pizza Wagon.  They actually bring their own brick oven--on a wagon--to the location and cook pizzas to order.

We ordered the Greek pizza and shopped around while we waited for it to be ready.  The original plan was to take the pizza home to eat it, but it was so fragrant and hot that we sat on a park bench next to the market and ate it right away.

The toppings were salty and bright and the crust was thin and crisp.  It was one of the better pizza's I've eaten recently and I'm always up for impromptu picnicking, especially in such good company. 

Podcasts for Foodies

I got an Iphone a few months ago.  It has caused a bit of tension in our home--Tim is a Droid user.  Need I say  more? We are at an impasse on the discussion of which phone is better so we've decided to keep our marriage happy and agree to disagree.

But I am really enjoying the things that come along with having an Iphone including Angry Birds, the Instagr.am photo editing application, and particularly having access to Itunes.  I've never even owned an Ipod so this phone has opened up an entire world of media that I hardly knew I wanted.

Podcasts have gotten me through hours upon hours of commuting for job.  I generally download a handful over the weekend and create a playlist for my next trip.  My downloaded podcasts include the usual story-driven suspects--This American Life, Radio Lab, and The Moth Podcast--but I've also recently started stocking up on podcasts related to cooking, dining, entertaining, and food politics.

A coworker recently pointed out to me that it's a bit ironic to be listening to radio shows about food when you can't see the food, smell the aromas, or taste the flavors. The host has to be creative in describing the topic so that the listener can actually visualize and experience the food.  Not everyone can do this, and I've downloaded a show or two that I've disliked for the sole reason that I never felt connected to the host or that the host cared about my listening experience.

This list that I've compiled are shows that I listen to regularly.  Some of the shows update on a regular basis and some of them more sporadically.  I've equally enjoyed listening through the archives as I have listening to new episodes.  I hope you get as many hours of enjoyment out of these as I do.

Seven Podcasts for Foodies
(in no particular order)

Spilled Milk
Molly Wizenberg and Matthew Amster-Burton are writer-bloggers who brave taste testing different recipes and ingredients while taunting their listeners with the sounds of them licking their lips and mmmmmm-ing about their favorites.  It's comedy, it's educational, it's biased (neither of them love mac & cheese--the horror!) and non-scientific, and it's very fun.  The topic of each podcast is generally focused an ingredient like ham or chiles or a common food staple like burgers and salad dressing.  Molly and Matthew muse about their experiences with the food and then taste test and compare.  You'll laugh, you'll learn, and you'll come back for seconds. 

The Splendid Table
As an avid NPR listener, I have loved this show for many years.  Lynne Rossetto Casper, with her sultry, raspy voice, describes food in a way that I can practically smell and taste it.  I particularly enjoy her discussions with guests on world cuisine, food trends, and hot topics in the industry.  There is always something for the gardener, the baker, the cook, and the diner-outer in the show archives.  (And don't miss her Thanksgiving Day call-in show where she often talks panicked hosts down from the ledge with thoughtful and helpful ideas on saving or improving this year's meal!)

Earth Eats Podcast
Produced in Bloomington, this is a new favorite program of mine.  Largely focused on midwestern, seasonal foods, you will hear an array of topics ranging from foraging for ingredients like ramps to making the perfect vegan taco.  Host Annie Corrigan narrates you through cooking in the kitchen with Chef Daniel Orr as well as interviews in the field and in studio with people holding unique food perspectives. 

Eat Feed
While not produced as consistently now as in the past, listening through the archives and the occasional new shows of this Chicago-based podcast will engage you in topics ranging from food history, interesting ingredients, persons in the food world, and seasonal eating.  Host Anne Bramley guides the podcasts as a teacher would a class allowing the listener to absorb everything from varying points of view, and as a listener you will come away continuing to ponder what you just heard. It's a highly respected show that is really as good as the hype.

Food Programme
This BBC program hosted by Sheila Dillon has given me a new insight into European food.  Did you know that frozen foods are a growing trend in France?  Have you considered how climate change may be affecting our farms and gardens? What is the effect of the mafia's influence on food in Sicily?  Who wouldn't want to learn about this stuff?  Each show is presented in a satisfyingly investigative manner and the information is equally provactive and memorable.

KCRW's Good Food
While this program is focused on regional food and news in Southern California, it's still very enjoyable.  You can expect recipe ideas for seasonal foods, interviews with locals about farming and gardening in California, short pieces about the science of food, and local dining ideas with insight into new and interesting cuisine.  Since we all benefit from the California bounty, I like to be kept abreast of what is happening.  It helps that the host, Evan Kleiman, has a warm, friendly tone to her voice that makes you feel like the podcast is a conversation between her and her listeners. 

Wine For Normal People
If you've read my About page, you'll know I enjoy wine.  But what you may not know is that my first professional job out of college was as a wine sales representative for a local distributor.  My life was immersed in wine for nearly two years, and it's one of the first common interests shared by Tim and me.  Even having lived and breathed wine as a job, there is still so so so much to learn.  The duo of hosts have their own set of strengths concerning the industry: Elizabeth is an excellent educator and Rick thinks of wine from a consumer's point of view.  You will learn about growing grapes (particularly the where and why), what goes into making wines, how to get the most out of wine tastings, choosing a wine for different occasions (with meal, with cheese, giving gifts, just because, etc), wine equipment,and why drinking wine is not just for the wine snobs (dare I say like me?).


Of course, this is just a list of my personal favorites.  Please feel free to share your own favorites--from this list or not--in the comments.  If it's not on this list, tell me and other readers why you like it and maybe we will all discover something new.

Equal Opportunity Gelato Consumers

How was your St. Patrick's day? 

I'm wondering what you were up to yesterday because it seems like everywhere I went there were people wearing green t-shirts, green knee socks and drinking suspiciously green beverages.  I, too, sported a green sweater, though I'm aware it was a weak attempt at partaking in the holiday.  I did consume a green beverage (margarita on the rocks) and watch some Sons of Anarchy (SAMCRO has quite a few Irish connections) but neither of those really made me feel like shouting, "Kiss me! I'm pretending to be Irish!" 

What can I say--I'm not Irish and I kind of don't get it.  I suspect part of it has to do with the fact that St. Patty's fell on a weekday this year and frankly, I am having a tough week at work.  My heart wasn't into the celebration.  I will do better next year--maybe even cook up some homemade corned beef.

On the other hand, Tim was a little more in the spirit.  While green beer wasn't on his agenda either, he did surprise me with a small St. Patrick's Day gift from Findlay Market.

 

Guinness flavored gelato from Dojo Gelato and a set of 4 gelato spades*.  What a gift!  The spades make so much sense for eating gelato, particularly pints that sit in the freezer and won't have that softness that you get from fresh.

The Guinness flavor was surprising and subtle.  There was a dark earthiness that I didn't expect and I could definitely tell that it was Guinness.  It wasn't savory--it was definitely dessert--but I appreciated the complexity of the contrast between the dark beer and what was likely vanilla gelato.  It was simple and smooth and did pump a little Irish into our day. 

Just to be clear--I am an equal opportunity gelato consumer--so please check out Dojo's and Madisono's blogs for their seasonal flavors.

*Oh, and the spades were purchased from Dojo's booth at Findlay Market.

Better Than Ice Cream

On Valentine's Day, Tim treated me to a home cooked dinner.  He spatchcocked a chicken and roasted it.  It was chicken at its best served along side rice and asparagus.  The grand finale, though, was the dessert he picked up at Whole Foods.

Madisono's Dark Chocolate Orange Gelato. 

Before I even tasted it, I appreciated that my husband purchased locally.  Madisono's is Cincinnati's first gelato company.  When we lifted the pint's lid, I could immediately smell the intense flavors of chocolate and orange.  How had I forgotten these two were a match made in heaven?  Then when I had a scoop I nearly exclaimed (in the manner of Willie Wonka), "The orange tastes like orange!  The dark chocolate tastes like dark chocolate!"  The flavors were individual yet blended and the result is reminiscent of a Chocolate Orange that my mom used to slip into our Christmas stockings. 

Every bite was smooth and creamy with none of the iciness you often get from pints of ice cream.  That richness is gelato's best asset.  Even the next day when we polished off the pint, there was still no graininess, no apparent ice burn, and the flavors were still strong.  Honestly, I can't see how a pint would last more than a day or two in our house anyway.  It would be dangerous to stock up on this stuff--to say it's addicting is an understatement.

For a list of locations you can get Madisono's gelato, just visit Matt Madison's blog.  We picked ours up at Whole Foods in Mason, and when we went there last night, the choices were slim as many of the flavors seemed sold out.  We did get the last Dark Chocolate Orange to indulge in while we watched Sons of Anarchy, so I'm hopeful that they get more in soon.  I'm not sure how long I will last without it. 

The Messy Katie

I started a new position at work this week.  In celebration of my final commute to Oxford I decided to indulge in one of the college town's most famous restaurants.

In fact, picking up a farewell sandwich was my friend Lia's idea, who as I told you before, encouraged us during Alumni Weekend to go not just once but twice to Bagel and Deli for late night food. 

So I went to Bagel and Deli mid-afternoon, when the store was empty and only one bagel-maker was working, and I ordered my favorite sandwich--The Messy Katie.

If you're unfamiliar with Bagel and Deli, the name of the sandwich may sound strange.  Who is this Katie and why was she so messy?  But that's the thing about Bagel and Deli--all of the sandwiches are named for favorite combinations of past employees, famous (and infamous) visitors to Oxford, as well as past and present Miami students, who have left their legacy on the town and this little shop.  

Man, that Messy Katie was so, so good. 

Secret Family Recipe

Our half bushel of tomatoes sat on top of the washing machine for four whole days before I got around to deciding what to do with them.  It's not that I wasn't motivated to make something--I really was--it's just that summer is slipping away from me faster than I realized.  Really, where does the time go?  Anyone know the answer?

Tim and I decided that making some all-purpose tomato sauce would be the best option.  I say "all-purpose" because before we started tossing ingredients into the pot, I hadn't really considered what we would use this sauce for.  Pizza sauce?  Spaghetti sauce?  Are there other types of tomato sauce?

We started a sort of assembly line in our little kitchen.  Since we only have a small area of counter space, we set up stations.  Tim was over at the stove blanching and then peeling tomatoes and I was next to the sink working on coring and chopping.

We started our sauce operation around 5:00pm on a Thursday night.  I know it's ambitious to make sauce on a weeknight, but I knew we wouldn't have time over the weekend.  With our picky eater in high school now, our leisurely weekends are a thing of the past.

As I dropped the first batches of tomatoes into a boiling pot of water, I quickly realized we didn't have very much ice in the freezer.  Tim went out on an emergency bag-of-ice run while I made do with what little ice we had.

I was pleasantly surprised at how easily the skins of the tomatoes slid off after spending only 60 seconds in a hot bath and 60 seconds in a cold one.  Tim came up with a system to make a little slice on the bottom of the tomatoes and then pull the skins off from the bottom to the top.  He then placed the peeled tomatoes in a bowl on the counter while I tried to keep up my coring and chopping with his peeling pace.

You would think that we  were running a tomato factory with the amount of tomato juice puddling on the counter-top.  I tried to manage it by sopping up as much watery juice as I could after every few tomatoes, but eventually I started just pushing it into the sink and apologizing in advance to Tim for the inevitable clogging that would follow. 

Working in batches, I pulsed the chopped tomatoes in the food processor until the tomatoes were in small pieces, but not completely pureed.  We like a little texture to our sauce, but if you'd prefer yours to be thinner, by all means, process them more.  By the time we had finished processing all of the tomatoes, it was nearly 9:00pm.

Then this is where I have a little more trouble describing what we did.  I tossed in about 1/2 cup of olive oil, maybe more, a few tablespoons of tomato paste, a few cloves of grated garlic, some salt & pepper, and a half a palm-full of red pepper flakes.  It was more of a taste-and-go system where we would let it simmer for a while, taste it, and then add a little bit more of this or that.  At the very end of cooking, Tim tossed in a good handful of fresh lemon basil that he had chopped up.  It added a really great fresh fragrance to the sauce that I know will reemerge when we reheat this another day. 

Since we didn't strain the tomatoes before processing them, the sauce started very watery.  By 10:30pm, after lots of stirring and thumb twiddling, Tim was satisfied with the consistency.  We got out our little plastic containers and filled them up, taking care to date and label the lids.

Before putting the lids on, we let the sauce cool for 30 minutes or so.  Just when Tim could barely keep his eyes open any longer, we put the lids on the sauce and transported them to our deep freeze.  By the next day, our seven pints of sauce were frozen solid and ready for their fall hibernation.

While tomatoes are still available straight from the vine, we will keep buying them.  But in a month or so when there are no more local tomatoes in sight, we will have our homemade sauce--our secret family recipe.  So secret not even we could recreate it.

Ball Canning Luncheon and a Giveaway!

Last week I attended a canning luncheon hosted by Ball at Local 127 restaurant in downtown Cincinnati.  Since canning and preserving are on my summer list, I was really excited to attend.  Of course I got out of a work meeting late and was running behind, parked in the wrong parking garage, and practically ran down Race Street (all part of a normal day for me), but I still made it there just as Chef Geddes was beginning his presentation.

As Chef Geddes said, canning and preserving are all about, "good ingredients and capturing that magic while it's at the peak of its truth."  Well put, Chef.

While he spoke about the significance of canning in his personal life and his career, we were served a delicious, seasonal lunch.    First was summer greens with Kenny's Farmhouse Cheese and fresh tomatoes.  I believe the salad was tossed in a very light vinaigrette, but the standout of the salad was really the cheese.  I liked it so much I asked if I could get it locally, and Chef Geddes told me it is sold at Whole Foods.

Then we were served our entrée, Heritage heirloom pork tenderloin with cheesy grits, charred cabbage, and a tomato salsa.  Chef Geddes told me he went to West Virginia just for this rare breed of pig and hand selected the cuts of meat for his menu.  The pork was really juicy and perfectly cooked, although I didn't ask the method.  The cheesy grits were light in flavor and added a better texture than a mashed potato would have offered.  The salsa was unexpectedly mild with a great tomato flavor.  Chef told us that the salsa recipe comes in the recipe book with the Ball Canning Discovery Kit.  I was completely sold on Ball recipes after he said that--I needed to make this salsa!

As we started eating our cheesecake in a jar (pictured in my previous post), Chef Geddes began to show us how easy it would be for us to prepare this salsa.

You need to know some basics to be able to safely preserve your summer produce.  The first tip was to make sure your jars are sterile.  You can do this by running them through the dishwasher or washing them with hot soapy water.  You want to put your food in the jar while the food and jars are still hot.  If you want to keep your sterile jar hot while you prepare your produce, then set them in a pot of hot water that is simmering but not boiling.

The next is to follow a recipe.  There were some questions about ingredient substitutions, but the reality is--it may be unsafe to make adjustments.  Spice can be changed but any other adjustments will affect the acidity and processing times.  Recipes that are published by Ball are tested and follow FDA guidelines for food safety.  This way there is no risk.  I'm all for not dying of botulism, so I will follow the recipes. 

When you are filling the jars, don't touch anywhere inside the lid or the lip of the jar.  It's best not to risk any contamination.  Leave about 1/2 inch of headspace at the top of the jar and then run clean knife around the inside of the jar down to the bottom to remove any air bubbles.  Then top with lid and screw on band until it is tight.

Using the green rack in the Ball Canning Discovery Kit, you can safely lower the jars into a boiling water.  This is a great tool for beginner canners (like me) who want the entire process to be simplified.  Then process the filled jars according the time amounts in the recipe, and then allow to cool.  If the lid allows any give when you press on it, then the processing was not successful and your product will not be safe to store on the counter.  If this happens, you will have to refrigerate or eat immediately.

I agree with Chef Geddes' description of how canning can profoundly connect you to your food when he said, "it's like a memory that you can bring back and taste it."  I know it seems a little cheesy, but when I am canning and preserving this summer, it is something that will bring me back to all of my experiences I have had this summer with food: our garden failing, our new love affair with farmer's markets, and our new appreciation for summer's bounty. 

I had such a fantastic time at this event and learned so much that I want to share the excitement with my readers.  That is why I'm giving away a Ball Canning Discovery Kit to one lucky reader! 

Rules for entry:

1. Only 1 entry per person.
2. To enter, leave a comment and tell me what you'd like to use the canning kit to preserve this summer.
3. If you do not have a blog with an email address or contact information listed on the blog, please leave your email address in the comments so I can contact you if you win!  If you do have a blog that lists contact information, I will go there and get your information. 
4. No comments logged after 11:59 p.m., Sunday, August 8, will be considered for the giveaway.
5. Winner will be announced here on the blog on Monday, August 9!  

Good luck to everyone!  You are all winners to me.

West Chester Farmer's Market and Zucchini Without a Prayer

A Saturday morning at the West Chester Farmer's Market was exactly what I needed after indulgent weekends with friends.  Don't misunderstand, I adore my friends.  I miss them dearly.  Why do we all live so far apart from one another?  But my simple routine was completely off kilter.  There was no baking over the weekends with Tim.  There was no tending to our little garden.  There was no snuggling with the cutest puppy dogs ever.  And I missed Tim.  Our little life is a wonderful thing.

I admit I'd never been to a farmer's market before Saturday.  I have had the best of intentions to go, and in early May even drove up to South Lebanon a few times when I thought that their market might be open early.  Of course, it wasn't open, and then my early June weekends I was out of town, so this was my first opportunity.  I arrived around 9:30am and the area was already bustling with shoppers.  I had been given some advice by friends that you shouldn't take a grocery list with you but just go with what's fresh and available.  I did bring a little wish list of things I was hoping to find, and luckily, everything I wanted for the week was there. 

After perusing the farmer's market's website, I had two vendors in mind that I was particularly interested in checking out.  One was Blue Jacket Dairy.  A few weekends prior, Tim and I had been watching our local public broadcast channel and caught a special about local cheesemaking at Blue Jacket Dairy.  It was intriguing how this small, family operated business was turning traditional dairy farming into a specialty foods business.  With the local food and slow food movements expanding throught southwest and central Ohio, I was thrilled to see they were going to be at the market.  Their high quality gourmet cheese did not disappoint and I walked away with around $5 worth of each Ludlow cheese and Gretna Grilling cheese.

The other vendor I wanted to shop was Morning Sun Farm run by Dave and Evelyn Filbrun.  I was attracted to their booth because of the huge truck backed up to their stall and the long line of people waiting to purchase eggs and meat from them.  Their eggs are laid by free range, organic chickens and their selection of different organic poultry, pork, and lamb products was impressive.  They had all cuts of chicken available, and I was able to cross a whole chicken and a dozen eggs off my wish list.  Since this was one of the first booths I went to, I only had big bills.  The gentleman who was working the booth (perhaps it was Dave Filbrun?) was very polite and even offered samples of some sweet sausage they had warmed up on the table.  He asked me after I paid that if I had smaller bills when I finished shopping if I could bring him back some $1's or $5's.  About 20 minutes later, after I had purchased a zucchini, a big bunch of green onions, and some organic honey, I came back with some change.  The gentleman was so thankful that he gave me a package of frozen organic chicken wings at no charge. 

That's the beauty of doing business from person to person.  I will definitely be purchasing my meat from the market from here on out.  Not only is it better for my local agricultural industry (which is a big deal in Southwest Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana) but he made a big impact on me.  I highly suggest if you are in the Cincinnati area to check out the West Chester Farmer's Market and see if you can do some of your shopping person to person.  I think it will make an impact on you, too. 

While I'm saving the chicken for dinner this week, I did use the green onions in my Vegetable Pad Thai and I used the zucchini in this recipe for Chocolate Zucchini Cakes with Pecans.  I'm pretty sure everyone has had zucchini in a quick bread, but I'd never had it paired with chocolate.  I know that Ashley over at Delish made some Mini Chocolate Zucchini Cakes of her own that I'd love to compare to this recipe.

While grating the zucchini I was wondering to myself how in the world this was going to taste!  Zucchini, while it is mild, definitely has a "green vegetable" flavor that is distinct when tasted alone.  When paired with 1 cup of sugar, zucchini just doesn't have a prayer of it's own flavor shining through.  While this is definitely not a healthy way to prepare zucchini, it is definitely a way to sneak vegetables into a dessert.  A nifty trick if you're like me and have a kid that won't even try something if she even slighlty suspects it won't taste good. 

I opted to top these with pecans but the original recipe called for walnuts.  For some reason Tim is rather picky about nuts and doesn't care for walnuts.  Personally, I don't find walnts and pecans all that different in flavor or texture.  I think if you left the nuts off completely, you would lose the little crunch that these bite size desserts need in order to be a more satisfying morsel.

I used semi-sweet chocolate chips rather than chopped bittersweet chocolate, and I think that was the right decision.  Without the semi-sweet chocolate, there isn't much intense chocolate flavor.  With the chips, they are very chocolately.  The texture was somewhere between a cupcake and a brownie and it was very easy to eat a bunch of them before you even realized they were half gone.  I suggest packing them up individually to ration them out before you eat all of them in one sitting!

This recipe also gave me a very good reason to use my mini muffin pan, which I've only used a handful of times to make very addictive Pepperoni Pizza Puffs.  In fact, Tim requested those Pizza Puffs this weekend, and that was what reminded me to make these Chocolate Zucchini Cakes! 

Chocolate-Zucchini Cakes with Pecans
adapted from Everyday Food Magazine
makes 24-30 mini cakes

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp course salt
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup finely grated zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)
3 tbsp sour cream
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
24-30 pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl, stir together butter, sugar, salt, and egg until combined.  Add vanilla, grated zucchini, and sour cream.  Stir until incorporated.  Sift flour and cocoa powder into the bowl and stir until combined.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Spray mini muffin pan with cooking spray.  Fill each cup with batter until 3/4 full (about 2 tablespoons) and top with a pecan half.  Bake 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool slightly in pans on wire rack before serving. 

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.