Aisle Twelve

Pumpkin spice is out of control.  I walked down the cereal aisle the other day and just about every other product is pumpkin spice.  And I couldn't be happier.  It's just so cozy and comforting.  It's the culinary equivalent to pulling on your favorite sweater for the first time of the year.  In case you couldn't tell, Fall is my favorite.  So, after a year of having plain old granola on my yogurt for breakfast, I decided to pumpkin spice up my regular recipe.  This is what I came up with.  Not only does it taste amazing, your house will be filled with the cozy scent of Fall. Pumpkin Spice Granola 4 1/2 cups oats (I use quick oats) 1/2 cup canned pumpkin 1/2 cup maple syrup (use the good, real stuff) 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice mix (see below) Pumpkin Spice Mix 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom pinch o...

Did you know rhubarb is a vegetable?  I have a hard time picturing something so pretty and perfectly pink as a vegetable, but nature can be deceiving sometimes I guess.  This is a rhubarb crostata, or galette depending on if you are in an Italian or French mood.  Basically, it's a lazy way of making a pie, which is perfect for those easy, summer afternoons.  Rhubarb Crostata 1 9-inch pie crust about 5 stalks of rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces 1 1/2 cups strawberries, halved or quartered 1/2 cup sugar (plus additional sugar for top of crust) 2 tablespoons cornstarch (add a tablespoon of water to make a slurry) juice of 1 lemon (optional) egg wash (1 egg + 1 tablespoon water, beaten) Preheat oven to 400.  In a large bowl, add 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch slurry and lemon juice to rhubarb and strawberries.  Fold gently to combine.  Roll crust to 9 inch circle on a sheet of parchment paper.  Transfer parchment to baking sh...

For most of my life, pork was the other white meat:  the one I wouldn't eat.  (Well, pork chops anyway.  Bacon, of course, was always on my list.)  I think that I just had one too many over cooked, dried out, chewy, tough pork chops that I never could stomach them.  Then I discovered the lusciousness that is pork tenderloin and decided to give pork chops another chance.  Yup, basically it still was the other, dried up, chewy white meat I remembered.  Luckily I came across this recipe in a Cuban cookbook of Joe's.  Then one day, when I saw a crazy good sale on pork chops at the grocery store, I decided to dig out this recipe and give it a try.  Thank God I did.  These chops are not like other pork chops.  They are moist, (sorry, I hate that word too but I just cannot think of another, more accurate synonym) tender, flavorful; unlike any pork chop I had had before.  Not only are they delicious, but they are a cinch to...

For years I've always wanted to try a Nicoise salad but have always shied away because of the tuna.  I'm not a huge fan of tuna unless it's in a spicy sushi roll, for whatever reason.  But I had a revelation when I realized, who says it has to be tuna?  Why not chicken and better yet, why not rotisserie chicken?  Actually I had planned on roasting and shredding my own chicken, but after boiling my eggs and potatoes, I went to the fridge to discover I had only mentally taken out the chicken from the freezer to defrost.  Such is life.    If you have never had a nicoise salad, it is a perfect salad for summer.  The dressing is a simple, yet flavorful dressing and while potatoes, green beans, boiled egg, tomatoes and nicoise olives are traditional, you can add pretty much what you like in a salad.  Cucumbers are not traditional, but I was cleaning out the fridge and it seemed like a good way to get rid of them.    Chicken S...

Summer does not make me feel much like cooking.  This recipe might change my mind.  The sauce is basically a pesto with a little pasta water thrown in and warmed by the hot pasta.  It smells like summer and is an easy, no-cook dinner.  The pesto would also be lovely spread on crostini with goat cheese or ricotta.  Definitely one to add to the summer dinner rotation. Sundried Tomato Pesto Pasta 1 package or jar of sundried tomatoes* 1 clove garlic, smashed 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted 1 tablespoon basil leaves, torn 1/8 teaspoon (or to taste) red pepper flakes parmesan cheese, grated (to taste) salt and pepper olive oil cavatapi or other ridged pasta Coarsely chop tomatoes and put in the bowl of a food processor.  Add garlic, almonds, basil, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper.  Pulse a few times and with the processor running, add olive oil until mixture comes together into a loose paste.  Stir in parmesan cheese...

There have been some big changes in my life since the last time I added a post.  Mainly, we moved to a new home that needed a lot of updating.  I had planned on doing a lot of posts showing the progress we've been making, but when you are constantly doing indoor renovations, landscape editing along with the other routine home stuff, on top of keeping a toddler busy, things fall by the wayside and that something was writing.  But that's not the only thing...   I'm just not sure how I feel about being a blogger.  I started blogging because I love to write as a hobby, and it's fun to get my thoughts down, and especially to document recipes (because I do love to cook).  But I have always felt a little weird about the whole putting everything out there for anyone and everyone to see.  I also don't have any expectations that anyone IS actually reading this at all.  And for the people who did read it, I didn't want it to seem like I w...

I love herbs not only because they taste good but because they look so beautiful.  If you handed me a bouquet of sage and mint and rosemary, I think I would be just as happy as if you handed me a bunch of roses.  Herbs compliment so many savory and sweet dishes and even drinks.  To me, an herb garden is enough. In this year's garden I have chives, parsley, basil, dill, oregano, thyme, cilantro and mint. Notes:  never, ever under any circumstances plant mint into the ground unless you want an entire yard of it...and your neighbors... Yes I learned this the hard way. Also, annual herbs like dill and cilantro must be picked regularly or they become too tall, flower and go to seed making the plant obsolete - unless you're looking for coriander and dill seed. If you see a flower on the top of dill, cilantro or basil, pick them off immediately to encourage growth. Happy gardening!