I’ve been thinking quite a bit about locally grown food lately — not unusual for me by any means,  but my thoughts have just been more intensely focused.  So it shouldn’t be unusual for an article like “Butchers’ Banquet:  England’s Lincolnshire Wolds” published in the October 2011 issue of Saveur to have an impact on me.  I’m always looking for truly good recipes for traditional food, and even though I’m not British, I have solid connections.   In 1881 at the age of three, my great-grandfather sailed with his family from Newport, Wales to San Francisco hoping to find inexpensive land where his family might grow apples.  But that’s a story for another day.

This is more about the group of men mentioned in the article who have gotten together over years and years to enjoy a Sunday meal each week.  They know where the food has been grown, how it’s been grown, and have prepared it to showcase its quality.  Of course, it helps that they’re in the business.  I’d like to be invited to a table like that to hear the talk and understand more about what they know.  I’ll work on that from here in San Diego and maybe, just maybe, by the end of this year, I’ll know more about the more than 6,000 farms in our county and the farmers who tend them.

In the meantime, I thought I’d share these great Steak & Guinness pies with you.  My father-in-law loves Stilton and will jump at any excuse to tuck his napkin into his shirt and cozy up to a plate of hot food like this with a pint.  The recipe isn’t challenging, but does take some time, so plan ahead.  It’s worth it.

Steak & Guinness Pie Recipe

Filling Ingredients

¼ c. olive oil
1-1/4 lb. beef chuck, cut into 1″ cubes
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large yellow onions, sliced
2 ribs celery, thickly sliced
2 small carrots, thickly sliced
2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
1 12-oz. bottle Guinness
1/4  cup flour
2 c. vegetable stock
2 tsp. mustard powder
1 bay leaf
1 T olive oil
10 oz. mushrooms, quartered
6 oz. English Stilton, crumbled
1 medium zucchini, sliced quartered
1 egg, lightly beaten

For the crust, use the dough recipe from my Cornish Pasties .

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Season beef with salt and pepper, then brown in batches, removing to a bowl as it finishes.
3. Add the garlic, onions, celery, carrots, and rosemary to the skillet and saute until softened and just beginning to brown.
4. Pour in the Guinness and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the flour into the mixture and cook, stirring until mixed.
6. Add the browned beef to mixture along with any juices that have accumulated in the bowl, the stock, mustard, and bay leaf.  Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook partially covered,  about 1½ hours.
7. Make the dough for the tops while the beef is cooking.  Wrap in plastic and chill until ready to use.
8. After the beef mixture is done, remove it from the heat and set it aside.
9. In another skillet, heat the 1 T of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and zucchini and cook, stirring, until browned, then add to the beef mixture.
10. Add the Stilton to the mixture and stir in.  Correct seasoning.
11. Heat oven to 375°.
12. Divide beef mixture among four 6″ oven-proof bowls or pie pans able to hold up to 12 oz.
13. Roll the dough into a 14″ square and cut out four 6″ circles.  Press each circle gently down over the filling.
14. Brush the dough with the egg and with a pair of scissors, cut an “x” into the top of each.
15. Bake on a baking sheet until browned and bubbling, about 40 minutes.

Notes:

• This recipe was adapted from this one which accompanied the article linked above.
• I’ve made it a couple of times and although I have switched things up a bit each time, it’s just plain delicious.  Is there such a thing as gourmet pub food?
• The filling is very forgiving, but taking time to brown the meat properly without crowding it in the pan, and then allowing it to braise with the veggie mixture is key.
• You can make the beef mixture minus the Stilton a day ahead, covered in the fridge.  Reheat, add the Stilton, then place the dough on and bake.
• If you try the original recipe in the link, the purchased puff pastry is decent, but I loved the dough crust better.  It’s so easy to make — nothing fancy at all — give it a go!
• You’ll probably have dough and filling left over — I did each time I made it — so if you need to, you can probably squeak out six smaller pies.
• We enjoyed these pies with Bubble and Squeak.  Think mashed potatoes with veg and you’ll have it right.
• Now, for pork pie.  I have lots and lots of pork in my freezer from a local farmer.  Lots.

If the end of January is approaching then I know I can expect a variety of things:  emails from sites I subscribe to sharing the perfect Super Bowl snacks, bloggers swapping their tried and true party dish faves, and people talking about whether they’re planning on a game day get together or not.  None of it has been discussed in our house yet, because we’ve been busy, busy, busy with life enjoying a long weekend making like tourists in West Hollywood, soaking up the last bits of our youngest’s company before he returns to San Francisco for the spring semester, celebrating family birthdays and anniversaries, and in the past couple of days, nursing one of our cats back to health after a run in with a neighbor’s kitty.  Goodness!  And it’s not over yet.  Any time now, my husband will ask about what’s on our  Super Bowl agenda.  It always seems to be a last minute sort of thing most years, and that’s just fine with me because it doesn’t take too much thought to decide which snacks football fans will expect to have at their fingertips whether they’re for our small family, or a larger group.

I doubt there has ever been a time we haven’t had fresh salsa or pico de gallo with guacamole and tortilla chips.  A pot of chili with all the fixin’s and a salad for halftime eats are also the norm even though the chili recipe varies from one year to the next.  But I’m also known for sneaking in something that may raise eyebrows, causing certain guests to cast one another a nervous glance before pointing and asking, “What is that?” then politely suppressing the urge to continue with, “Do I have to eat it?”  as they reel their fingers back in.  Actually, they now ask, “How do I eat it?” because it seems my food often has rules that accompany it — or must seem like it does.   Is it supposed to be dipped, or layered?  Which of the ingredients on the plate create the best bite?  Is it finger food, or do I need a plate and fork?  To their credit, they seem much more enthusiastic than they did years ago, so I know my risks to encourage people to try something new haven’t failed, and that makes me happy.

They’ve long accepted they will never see “taco pie” loaded into a corn chip bag with a plastic spoon sticking out of it coming from my kitchen because they figure it’s something the snack bar on the Little League field sold when they were kids.  Once upon a while ago, they may have seen cheese sauce hot from the microwave ready to pour over their tortilla chips and call the mess nachos, (shhh…don’t tell anybody) but now, they get hummus or white bean and roasted garlic dip with toasted bread, crackers, or raw veggies and they like it.   And sometimes, they get to bite into spicy grilled sausages, nestled into a crusty sandwich rolls smothered with grilled onions and peppers, then topped with mustard.  That still counts as manly game day food, doesn’t it?  I hope so, because if it doesn’t, then my football party days are over.

Many of my close friends have been changing the way they eat for a variety of reasons.  Losing weight always seems to be on everyone’s mind, but honestly, as we’ve gotten older, lowering cholesterol or blood pressure, controlling Type 2 Diabetes, and yes, even learning to tolerate food during and after cancer treatment have far outweighed the desire to lose a few pounds for the sake of simply looking better in our clothes.  None of this has stopped us from enjoying the food we share when we get together because making sure it’s fresh and delicious is the ticket.

These crab stacks are the perfect party food.  They’re light, bursting with flavor, easily adaptable to a variety of ingredient choices, can be made in advance, and most importantly, fit nicely into anyone’s healthy life style.  I’ve been invited to Gojee’s virtual potluck and know people will enjoy it!  Starting on Thursday, January 26, check out other potluck dishes fellow gojee contributors shared. Go to gojee.com and enter “gojeepotluck” into I Crave.  You can also follow #gojeepotluck on Twitter.  

If you’ve never visited gojee, then you’re in for a treat.

See you there!

Crab Stacks with Ginger Lime Dressing

Ingredients

6 Tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

2 T agave nectar

6 T lime juice

4 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. pea shoots

1/4 c. Roma tomatoes, diced

1/4 c. cucumber, sliced

1/4 c. red onion, diced

1/4 c. mango, diced

1/4 c. avocado, diced

1 jalapeno, roasted and chopped

1/4 c. fresh crab meat

2 T chopped peanuts

1 tsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Prepare ginger-lime dressing by mixing ginger, agave nectar, lime juice, garlic, and water. Pour into a sealable container and refrigerate at least 1-2 hours and as much as over night.
2. To assemble the crab stacks, you’ll need two cylinders such as dessert rings or recycled cans with the bottoms removed.
3. Lightly spray the inside of the cylinders with cooking spray, then line two small dishes with pieces of plastic wrap large enough to pull up and over the cylinders (you’ll need to do this after you’ve built the stacks) and place the cylinders on top of each.
4. Begin layering ingredients inside each of the cylinders in this order:  pea shoots, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, mango, avocado, jalapeno, then finally, the crab.  Gently press down on each ingredient as you fill to make sure it’s securely layered.
5. If making ahead, pull the plastic wrap up over each and wrap, then place in the fridge until ready to serve.
6. To serve, choose a large platter and place each cylinder on it.  Unwrap and holding the cylinder with one hand, slide the plastic from beneath it.  Then slowly lift the cylinder, pushing lightly on the ingredients to reveal the stack.
7. Finish by sprinkling the chopped peanuts and cilantro over each stack, sprinkle baby salad greens around the platter if desired, and drizzle with the ginger-lime dressing.
8. Allow everyone to admire the crab stacks before encouraging the first guest to dig in, scooping into the stack with crackers or toasted slices of bread.

Notes:

• This recipe was adapted from Rappongi’s Chef Stephen Window’s Polynesian Crab Stack.  Rappongi’s is one of our favorite San Diego restaurants.
• The original recipe calls for sugar instead of the agave nectar and double that quantity.  I’m not fond of overly sweet salad dressing so prefer my adaptation more.  It allows for the flavor of ingredients to stand out instead of the sugar in the dressing.  Honey would be another good choice.
• I used canned crab meat for this recipe Blue Star.  It comes chilled in a 1 lb. can and is much more than is needed for this recipe, so I wrap it up and freeze it for a later use.  It’s pricey at about $16/lb. but when you consider all you can make with a pound, it’s worth it.
• Have some fun with the ingredients if those on the list above aren’t available to you.  Pea shoots are available at Whole Foods and Sprouts, but you could use a different type of sprout instead, or leave them out all together.
• Colorful bell peppers, either diced raw, or roasted and cut into strips would be a nice option.  Thinly sliced apple would also be delicious, grilled pineapple, or citrus such as blood orange slices, or grapefruit.  If you don’t like crab, then try shrimp or tuna.
• The peanuts add a nice crunch to the mix so if you can’t use peanuts, then try toasted pine nuts.  Even a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds would add a nice touch.
• If you’re in the mood for a treat, just make one of these crab stacks for yourself and increase the amount of salad greens.  It makes a beautiful, elegant lunch, or starter for a special dinner.
• Speaking of salad greens, that’s my first ever crop of salad greens I’ve grown.  I have a pot just outside on my patio that barely gets enough sun in the winter, and so sprinkled the seeds over the soil my tomatoes are usually planted in.  The tender crop has somehow managed to escape the attention of snails so has done really well!  All in all, as much as it is interesting to do this, we eat so much salad, there’s no way one pot could ever keep up with us.  Still, I’m proud of my first effort!

 For more delicious crab recipes perfect for parties

Cayla’s Kitchen Sink — “Cold Crab Dip”

Pham Fatale — “Seafood Crab Salad”

Chez Us — “Hot Spicy Crab Dip”

You’ve promised your body that you will adopt a healthier lifestyle — something just shy of a “diet” because you know yourself too well.  If what you’ve taken on is reduced to that, it’s probably not going to last because you don’t believe in diets — and for good reason.  You’ve seen too many people begin with all the motivation they can muster, then when they realize the pounds aren’t falling off as quickly as they’d like, or that after what is considered a good effort, they’ve plateaued, motivation dwindles and the “diet” is quietly ignored.  I can’t risk that because my knees will never forgive me for having to carry around 50 pounds they hadn’t counted on at their age.

Poor knees.

Last September when I began to think about more obsessively about my weight and lack of routine exercise (no coincidence since I’d just turned 55) I began to find reasons to avoid the kitchen.  Meals became food I could easily pick up and eat with little or no thought.  I stopped looking at new recipes and rarely used one to try something new for dinner.  And baking?  I stopped that almost completely because it seemed pointless to bake something, taste it, then try to find a home for it outside of mine.  I’ve never been a big sweets eater, but I thoroughly enjoy spending a morning in the kitchen baking something — especially if it involves a little thought or teaches me something new.  I miss that and know baking needs to be a part of my life — as does dessert.

Dessert is a food group, isn’t it?

I’m kidding, of course, but the point is I want to bake and enjoy dessert occasionally so have to find a balance with desserts that showcase a simple fruit without a lot of added sugar or an excessive amount of fat, for example.

Something classic, satisfying.  Elegant, but not fussy.

With apples.

Glorious apples.

Just a small slice?

Yes, please.

 Apple Tart Alsatian Style Recipe

Crust Ingredients

1-2/3 c. all-purpose flour

8 T butter, cold unsalted

1 whole egg

1 T sugar

pinch of salt

1-1/2 T cold water

Filling Ingredients

1/3 c.  blanched almonds

1/4 c.  sugar

1 T  all-purpose flour

2 egg yolks

1/2 c. milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 T Applejack or brandy (optional)

2 lbs. Honey crisp apples

apricot jam melted for glaze

Directions

1. Attach the metal blade and put all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor.
2. Pulse ingredients just until a ball begins to form on the blade.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and begin to lightly knead, using a pulling away action with the heel of one hand lightly pulling the dough away from the other.  Continue a few times until the dough is smooth.
4. Dust the dough with flour and make a flattened disk, cover well and chill while you make the filling.
5. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F and position the rack to the lowest position.
6. Place the almonds in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and run until reduced to a fine powder.  Add the flour and yolks, then process until the mixture is paste-like.  Pour the milk in and process until mixed well.  Add the flavorings and mix well.  Set aside.
7. Lightly butter a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
8. Remove the pastry from the fridge.  On a lightly floured surface, roll it into a round disk about 1/4″ in thickness and 14 inches in diameter.  Place it over the tart pan and remove the excess dough.  Gently press the dough against the sides of the pan and lightly prick the bottom with a fork.  Chill.
9. Peel the apples.  Position each apple with stems pointing upward.  Cut down through the apple on opposite sides, running parallel with the core.  Do the same for the remaining two sides.  Your apples will be quartered and cored.
10. Place each apple quarter cut side down and make thin slices across the width of each piece.  Slide an offset spatula beneath each quarter and gently press down with your hand to slightly “fan” the pieces, being careful to hold the general shape of the apple quarter.  Arrange in the chilled tart shell.  Once the sliced quarters have filled the ring and center of the tart shell, dice the remaining apples to fill in between the sliced quarters.
11. Pour the custard mixture evenly over the apples.
12. Place the tart on a baking pan and slide it into the oven.  Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 425 degrees F and continue baking until the crust and apples are golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
13. Remove from the oven and immediately remove from the tart pan.  After removing the ring, run an offset spatula beneath the tart to remove it from the metal bottom before allowing it to cool on a baking rack.
14. Heat the apricot jam and using a pastry brush, gently coat the top of the tart as it cools.
15. Once cool, remove to a serving platter.

Notes:

• Having always been a lover of French cooking, I recently purchased French Classics Made Easy by Richard Grausman, thinking it would be nice to learn some new tips for making some of my favorite recipes less fussy.
• I tried this tart recipe first because I’ve always wanted to learn how to structure one in this Alsatian style, which can be used for any fruit such as pears, apricots, or plums.  It’s pretty easy as long as you have an offset spatula.
• What isn’t necessarily easy about making this tart is getting it completely out of the tart pan when it’s hot from the oven.  Not only is the ring hot — if the bottom of the crust isn’t done, then getting it off the metal bottom to cool on a rack is a challenge.  Mine wasn’t completely done, so I put it back in the oven (it was turned off, but still very hot) without the baking pan beneath it for about 5 minutes.  I was able to remove the bottom then.  I guess my worries about a tart pan sitting directly over the heat on the bottom rack of a 500 degree F oven even for 10 minutes should have been ignored.  If I’d decided to put the tart in there without the baking pan from the start, I probably would have been able to remove the tart from the metal bottom easily.
• If Honeycrisp apples aren’t available, try any apple that holds up well in the oven — Pippin, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Jonagold, Braeburn, Winesap, Gala, and many more.  Check your regional resources for what’s most available and when.
• So what about the diet?  Well, traditionally, this type of tart is make with a very rich custard, but this one is pretty much made of fruit.  The crust is very thin — you know where I’m going with this.  Moderation! Enjoy a small piece and share the rest.  And, I made this tart early last October, so it wasn’t a current temptation, but biting into it is all about the apple.  Nothing overly sweet, and definitely without any kind of eggy custard flavor that I know many don’t always like.  It’s a pleasant recipe easily made with whatever fruit you have available.
• I need another cookbook like I need another leg, but I’m glad I decided to get this one.

Apple Tart Recipes from Around the Web:

Beyond the Plate — Apple Tarts (Tarte Aux Pommes)

My Baking Addiction — Custard Apple Tart Recipe

Gimme Some Oven — Easy Apple Tart

Sprinkle Bakes — Easiest Ever Rustic Apple Tart

It’s that time of year, isn’t it?  The time that many think of being more healthy, adding wholesome food to their diets, exercising more, and yes, losing weight.  There’s nothing quite like a fresh, new calendar year and January 1st to motivate us — even those of us who enjoy telling others resolutions oriented to the above mentioned actions — or any action — are just not our cup of tea.  I am in that group, and smirk at my reflection when I pause long enough to look knowing I’m fooling only myself and that much of my resistance to making New Year’s resolutions has to do with a variety of things, not the least of which is that I know I can make a decision at any time of the year to make a change in my habits.  Why wait for a particular day?

Here and there throughout each week, each month, each year, I am rarely free of thinking about whether I’ve eaten enough vegetables, enough whole grain, food packed with essential vitamins and minerals, drunk enough water, kept portions reasonable, made sure I ate breakfast, use mono-saturated fat in controlled amounts, watch the sugar I stir into my coffee, and work to balance protein and carbs.  Knowing what to eat and how much of it to be in good health is one thing, and living a healthy life style entirely another.  I love to tell myself that all is well because I very rarely eat fast food, or even buy food that is packaged for easy preparation or snacking.  I’ve baked almost nothing in months, and what has been baked usually leaves the house as soon as it’s out of the oven.  It’s never been difficult to avoid chips when they’re in the house, crackers, cookies, or any of the typical snack foods I know others have trouble with.  No, my weakness comes in a wine bottle — one that preferably contains white wine, but I’ll drink red with little or no arm twisting.  I sip, sip, sip it each evening — yes, each –  consuming all that sugar knowing that to make matters worse, I won’t exercise regularly, so the calories add up over time.  And?  It’s alcohol.

I know.

The math is fairly simple though.  If I cut out the wine and get out for a 3-mile walk each day, then surely, I will lose weight, right?  But I make no effort.

The last time I seriously made an effort was five years ago.  In fact it was the reason I started Sass & Veracity.  I thought that if I wrote about all things nutrition, diet, and weight loss, I’d be able to hold myself accountable and lose 50 lbs. in the process.  Losing fifty pounds would get me back to the weight I was in my mid-twenties after the birth of my two oldest boys.  The irony of that is I thought I was overweight then and probably eat far more healthily now (minus the wine).  Five years ago with approximately eight weeks of adopting a diet loosely based on The South Beach Diet,  and regularly scheduled exercise, I managed to lose 10 lbs.  But I struggled to get past a critical psychological point and lost motivation.  The exercise dwindled to be less routine, and well, here I am today, obsessed with the idea of being more thin, but never really doing anything about it.

I think one of the reasons I stopped writing here as much as I have in the past is that spending huge amounts of time thinking about recipes, buying food, writing about it, talking about it, and reading about it all day each day began to make me a bit crazy.  It takes quite a bit of seat time to accomplish that, and since I’m horrible at routine exercise unless it’s at the crack of dawn, my body doesn’t move that much. Counting the number of times I walk up and down our stairs every day doesn’t count.  My husband gave me a requested Wii for my last birthday because I thought it would be easier on my knee than getting out for a walk, and although I do love the yoga stretching and balancing, it’s not been used for more than racing cows on New Year’s Eve in quite a while.

Our complex has a nice little gym with everything I’d need to routinely work out.  There’s a lap pool as well.  Do I use them?  No.  An uninterrupted stretch of beach several miles long is a 5-minute drive from my house, and although I do enjoy walking there, I only manage it once or twice a month.  There’s a rowing machine in our garage propped against the wall that hasn’t been used in years.  I have two sizes of exercise balls, two sizes of hand weights, a stretchy thing with handles I use once every blue moon if it’s laying on the floor blocking my path to the kitchen, and a weighted ball with a handle I blame for the torn meniscus in my right knee I had surgery for a year ago.  I have a Pilates DVD, a great Pilates book, and a variety of On-Demand exercising videos available to me for free if only I’ll turn on the television and actually engage in the exercise. I’ve subscribed to Jillian Michaels and bailed after one workout.  ONE.  I joined Sparks People, set up a profile, and never returned. I ordered Sensa, tried it for two days and decided it was ridiculous, then returned it.  I think I actually was hoodwinked into purchasing Hoodia, but never used it.  I have watched and enjoyed The Biggest Loser for the past five or six seasons, amazed at how much weight the contestants lose, and am only motivated to get off the couch to use my 8-lb. weights to stretch a few times while it’s on.

It’s pathetic.

But when I think of going on a diet to assist me in changing some of my habits, I can’t help but feel so much of what I could achieve is temporary — or even dangerous.  Eating like a cave man?  Um, no thank you.  Subjecting myself to extreme detox diets to lose weight fast?  Not worth it.  A liquid meal substitute based diet?  Not when I know that eating fresh vegetables is ultimately more beneficial and with fewer calories than most liquid diets.  No, it has to be a combination of ideas — something with the support of a routine, eating and cooking food I already enjoy, and with flexibility I need built in. Most importantly, I need to be interested in it without it taking over my life.  Instead, it needs to become my life, quietly, and routinely — like nothing has changed.

I have no excuses.  I’m retired.  (Insert much happy dancing here!) I used to gaze longingly at the people going on their morning walk as I drove past on my way to work thinking, if only I didn’t have to go to work.  Even now, I see them outside the window next to where I’m sitting — walking, jogging, cycling — all while I sit on this ball thinking and writing.  So what are my obstacles, perceived or real?  My knee still bothers me, but I know which exercises will continue to strengthen it.  Spending time in the evening watching television with my husband could be an obstacle as well, but I’ll work on that. Ultimately, my biggest obstacle is doing anything mindless.  If I can’t read, or listen, think constructively, or plan while I’m exercising, it’s like being put in a cage.  Even music does little to fend off the crazies.  Is it possible to meditate while exercising?

So where is all of this going?  We’ll call it the starting line in the sand of a different direction with a predetermined destination.  And to make it legitimate:  reduce my caloric intake by 400 calories a day + increase calories burned by 400 a day.  It should take about 32 weeks to reach my goal weight of 140 lbs. just in time to celebrate a couple of milestones.  I’m not motivated by little black dresses or high-heeled shoes and never have been, but this could definitely keep me focused as a little reward.

So it appears I’m beginning something, doesn’t it?  Cheer me along, please?

Now, let’s have soup.

 Mulligatawny Detox Soup

from Gluten-Free Goddess

Ingredients

avocado oil

garlic

fresh ginger

curry powder

turmeric

cayenne

red onion

carrots

cauliflower

Granny Smith apples

sweet potato

cabbage

water

vegetable juice

chick peas

sea salt

coconut milk

lime

brown rice syrup

apple slices & cilantro

For ingredient quantities and directions, please visit Gluten-Free Goddess.

Notes:

• Mulligatawny soup is one of those things I’d heard of, but never tried.  Traditionally it’s made with a meat base but the variations on the basic recipe are numerous and often can be packed with calories.
• I made this soup a few months ago for myself thinking I’d nip the impending holiday indulgences in the bud before they happened, if that makes any sense at all.  Think prescriptive here.
• I tried it both chunky and pureed — both are packed with incredible flavor, so it’s up to you.  The puree is quite elegant and satisfying.
• It’s a rare event when I pull it off, but I followed Karina’s recipe exactly and so glad I did.
• I didn’t have either brown rice syrup or avocado oil, but located them at Sprouts.
• It freezes quite nicely in small lidded containers — enough for 1 good sized serving and makes enough to last a week.
• Perfect for now since giving your body a nice flush after all the food and beverage indulgences the last couple of months.
•  Turmeric gives this soup its bright color.  It’s known for its powerful anti-inflammatory qualities, even in very small quantities.  I truly enjoy its exotic taste and aroma.
• Avocado oil is a monosaturated fat (healthy fat) like olive oil, but is far more delicate in flavor, so it won’t have the tendency to stand out in a recipe like olive oil can.
• Ginger is best known for its ability to sooth the intestines — especially when they’ve been taxed.  Think ginger tea…
• Cabbage is also a powerhouse for anti-inflammatory benefits — and there’s a bunch of it in this recipe!

 Mulligatawny Soup from Around the Web:

We Are Never Full — “Mulligatawny Soup — The Brits Really Know How to Shake it Up”

 One Perfect Bite — “Mulligatawny”

Mele Cotte — “Secret Recipe Club:  Mulligatawny”

Making Life Delicious — “Mulligatawny Stew”

The older I get, the more quickly time seems to pass.  This isn’t to say that at ten, for example, I didn’t find myself on the last week of summer vacation, longing for yet another week to spend acting as if the days were endless and my responsibilities few.  But it’s different, now.  The days actually do seem endless so have a tendency to run together, leaving me with skewed ideas about when certain events happened, or how old something or someone is.  The eternal optimist in me always defaults to the fewer is better theory, and I tend to be wrong in those estimates.

Trying to locate particular shots in the libraries of my more than 20,000 photos provides a great example of this.  Bear in mind that I have the ability to actually organize my photos in more than a time based sequence, but I haven’t done that, so scroll through them thinking whatever I’m looking for will be easy to find.  It’s then I realize the notion of mine being a food centric life proves to be far more than a catch phrase as I scroll through our lives’ events searching for a recipe:  the layered ice cream cake for my youngest son’s graduation from high school year before last; a vegetable soup discovered during a weekend getaway to the mountains this past year; and those potatoes.  Those amazing potatoes we enjoyed on a trip to Las Vegas after busy season last year.

Or was it the year before?

And so my searching goes with each dish triggering memories of people and places, happy times, and sad events — all framed by the food we’ve eaten.  It’s an interesting way to think about one’s life.

Often, I become so involved by the images of our lives events, I forget which recipe I’m looking for, until reminded by something I’ve scribbled in one of my recipe notebooks, or a particular kitchen tool I used to create it.  Then the cycle repeats.  It’s maddening, but beneficial, being able to take stock of accomplishments, chide myself about what hasn’t been done, or be wistful about fleeting moments surely forgotten had I not had my camera.

Twenty-eleven was a year of learning different than any I’ve had before — a year of adjusting, growing, strengthening, and accepting all that comes in a year’s time.  Here’s my top 10 list of lessons learned in the past year — or acknowledged having learned yet again — definitely food for thought.

1.  With a little effort, you can discover new places in a place you’ve lived most your life and food doesn’t have to be involved.

Until lunch.

2.  Baking cake is one thing, but baking a wedding cake for the first time completely another…

…so it is important to appreciate the simplicity of “pie.”

3.  The third time isn’t always the charm, so there won’t be a fourth time no matter how optimistic you are, because really, lemonade is far more forgiving when you’ve got lemons.

4.  You can garden quite well in a fairly small space, and although no one will ever call you an urban farmer, you will continue in your efforts because it can brighten your table and reward you with hours of solitude.

5.  Just because you enjoy doing something doesn’t mean that others will, so do it for yourself.  It will make you smile.

6. Sometimes, that project you waited forever  to complete won’t look as great as you thought it might, but you’ll enjoy doing it anyway, then find a place for it in your closet.

7. Noticing the details is a choice that will always matter — but it depends on which details time is taken to notice.

8. You really can find something surprisingly wonderful after sifting through a sea of options if you’re willing to invest the time and not settle for the same old thing.

It works for more than butternut squash soup.

Really.

9.  It is more than possible to miss a tree each morning while sipping coffee and thinking about the day ahead.

10.  It is no surprise that something simple can be far more pleasing than…

 …something complicated, but not always, so keep trying and enjoy the experience.

I wish you a Happy New Year and hope that 2012 provides myriad choices to notice the details and find time for what matters most!

xo?xo

Kelly

I glanced at the date on my last post knowing that much time had passed, but had no idea two months could pass so quickly.  Suffice to say that life has happened in all its manifestations — some joyous, and others, far less.

At first, I gave in to the prodding of it all, enjoying a real excuse to not write, not take photos of our food, in fact, avoid climbing the stairs to my office to work for any reason whatsoever.  Then, there was a feeling of relief, somewhat like that I experienced on my last day of work.  It wasn’t a face down in the sand sort of thing, but still.  Eventually, I began to notice a quiet nagging that inserted itself into quiet moments, reminding me I had work to do.

So what have I done in the time that has passed beyond missing the people I’ve come to know and love who enjoy food as much as I do without saying as much as a how do you do before dropping out of sight?

Well.

After a lifetime of wanting to visit New England in the fall, I can finally say I’ve done that.  Starting in Portsmouth, NH, we traveled to Maine, Vermont, Upstate New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island with New Hampshire thrown in at least twice.  And we’ve done it as a couple after so many, many years of vacationing with children and others.  All wonderful vacations, absolutely, but there is something different about heading out with your sweetheart to see new places and things, enjoy great food, and good company — for almost two weeks.  The grand test in life is to spend time with the person you made all those promises to in front of all those people years ago on your wedding day and know that you’ll laugh, share a bit of wonder and worry, get lost a few times even though you have GPS, and squabble, yet hold hands.  Crying is in order as well if you’re anything like I am, for all kinds of reasons.  Oh, the sheer joy of it all.   The glorious beauty.  I thank goodness that I am able to travel and see where and how others live their lives.  It enriches me beyond all my expectations each and every time we set out to places unknown to us.

Then there is the post vacation, back to Earth recovery.

So much has gone on  it’s been difficult to care about writing about food partially because it seems so trivial in comparison.  In the meantime, I’ve enjoyed living life watching each day pass, busying myself with mundane tasks so I can mull over everything with the added benefit of seeming to be more organized than when I began.  It’s been purposeful and restorative.

But I’ve begun to feel as if I’m playing hookey.  Ditching class.  Hiding out to avoid what’s required, yet missing what’s important.

You know.  Work.  It’s important.

So here I am.  I’m back to work.  I’m searching for the words and trying to explain, hoping it doesn’t sound like the proverbial excuse written on the tattered remnant of a receipt left in one of my reusable grocery bags.  I’ve got recipes lined up waiting to be shared.  Lots of them.  And even more exciting — the discovery of a local farmer who delivers!  Amazing.

But life is like that if we take the time to notice, isn’t it?  Especially the very small bits and pieces.

Here are the bits and pieces of our road trip through New England.

After landing in Manchester, NH, we picked up our rental car and headed to Portsmouth for a night’s stay.  Originally, we were going to drive straight to Camden, then realized how ridiculous that would be.  Lucky for us, because Portsmouth is a very lovely town, and was all dressed up for Halloween.  We stayed at the Ale House Inn in the historic district right on the waterfront which made it easy to walk a bit in the short time we were there.  On a dark and rainy night, we set out for dinner at  CAVA  which is quite the wonderful restaurant — especially if you are able to sit at the bar and watch Chef Sessler prepare your food.

We immediately enjoyed the warmth and busy atmosphere of the restaurant, and on the chef’s recommendation, ordered his tasting menu.  Such a variety of small plate dishes and flavors to be savored tapas style with great Spanish wine — we enjoyed it all so much, I can’t say which was best, but the Day Boat Scallops, Pork Belly, Apple, Cider, and Juniper Demi was exceptional.  We left feeling the standard had been set quite high for the restaurants we planned to try during the remainder of our trip.  I would have liked more time in Portsmouth but was glad to have seen it at all.

US 1 took us up Maine’s craggy coastline to Camden where we met with friends and stayed several days at the truly wonderful Timbercliffe Cottage B & B.  From there we were extremely fortunate to have our friends’ thorough knowledge of the area to do many things, such as shopping along Main Street in Rockland where I treated myself to a locally handmade canvas and leather tote for my camera from Archipelago – The Island Institute Store,  a fabulous locals perspective tour through the back roads of coastal Maine, and an all day trip through Acadia National Park to enjoy the spectacular views from Cadillac Mountain.

We rarely eat three whole meals a day, if ever, but managed to do just that while we were in Maine starting each morning with a light, healthy breakfast at our B & B.  We had lunch at the Home Kitchen Cafe in Rockland (you have to try the Bennie Mac if you go — it’s ridiculously good!) on one day, and the next enjoyed lobster stew and popovers at the Jordan Pond House Restaurant in the national park.  Our evening meals were all excellent, and in one case, an interesting experience as well.  Since we had reservations for Primo our second night in Maine, our friend said she wanted us to experience a bit of local color our first evening out.   When you live in a large city like San Diego, it seems there aren’t many places where it gets truly dark at night, so driving along the peninsulas through the woods often at the water’s edge provided us with a real idea of just how dark the dark of night can be.   When we pulled up to a small, unmarked building at a fork in the road, I wondered why we were stopping.  Other than a porch light near the door and a few cars parked around it, the building seemed empty until the door opened and we stepped into the small, inviting atmosphere of a pub whose walls and ceiling were lined with colorful lobster floats.  Burgers, sweet potato fries, a great bar, and lots of people around tables pushed together to accommodate the crowd and great conversation made this a memorable evening.  Shepherd’s Pie in Rockland on our last evening in Maine hit the spot after our all day outing, but how can anyone be unhappy with a pork belly sandwich?

When I think of our time in Maine, I know it wouldn’t have been quite the same experience without the efforts of our friend Anne who knows everything there is to know about Maine, and truly needs to be in the travel business!

The road to Stowe, Vermont was a very, very long one, but absolutely beautiful.  I’ve never seen so many barns and churches with white steeples in my life.  And although many of you who live in New England cautioned us that we’d be past peak in viewing the Fall leaves, we were lucky to see many along our way.

We stayed at the Green Mountain Inn on Main St. in Stowe and after checking in,  walked to Mr. Pickwick’s Gastropub for dinner our first evening. We had the uncanny experience of finding our waiter had lived in our area of San Diego for several years so we enjoyed talking with him while we were there.  The food and the interior of the pub had me thinking we were in England again, but the Beach Boys playing in the background was a bit strange if not funny — especially in Vermont.

The next morning, we rented bikes and enjoyed a long ride on the recreation path — more than a 10-mile round trip our bodies were sorely in need of.  I think it was one of my favorite days on the trip.

 An onion tart and a couple of pints at the inn’s Whip Bar and Grill for lunch hit the spot after our bike ride, but we probably shouldn’t have had anything.  We had reservations at Michael’s on the Hill in Waterbury Center that evening and although the food was exceptional, we were completely stuffed and not able to eat it all.  Again, we sampled choices from two of the chef’s tasting menus and shared our dishes so we could sample everything.  My favorite was the Truffled Mushroom Tartine with Truffle Honey Gastrique, but it was all delicious.  At one point, we gazed into each other’s eyes across the table and swore we’d never eat again, after having to ask our server to pack a bag for us.  With the long drive ahead the next day, we decided snacking on the leftovers would come in handy on our way through upstate New York.

When I plan our epic road trips, I rely heavily on Google Maps for all kinds of reasons.  I peg each of the places we want to stay, then plan our route from the pegs.  To help us decide where to book a room and locate restaurants, I zoom into an area and then search for “lodging.”  Red pegs appear for the sponsored locations, but there are many, many red dots that appear as well, and if you click on them, more information appears.  It’s a great way to find some real gems, and once I have my list, I then use Trip Advisor to check out the reviews.  Finally I use Google Maps street view and “drop the man,” or use the little yellow man to see where the hotel is and what the area looks like.  Yes, I’m fairly particular about this, but it works every single time — meaning no disappointments.

On our way from Stowe to Cooperstown, it became very important in planning our route for a few reasons.  First, hurricane Irene had caused significant damage in the southern regions of Vermont, and I wasn’t sure about heading down into the area, worried that roads had been washed out.  Second — Lake Champlain needed to be crossed by ferry if we were going to cut straight into New York, and some of the ferry routes had already closed for the winter.  Finally, with so much time spent in the car, it’s always a bonus to have something beautiful to look at.  We aren’t able to stop much, so I take my shots from the car to help me remember what we passed along the way — and to keep me from nagging at the driver.

We did cross Lake Champlain at the Charlotte-Essex point, munching on left over Maplewood Smoked Pork Loin with Apple, Braised Greens & Cheddar Sausage Bread Pudding.  Yes, it was fabulous — even cold.  I haven’t tried it yet, but the recipe for the savory bread pudding can be found here along with many of Michael’s other recipes.

I had no idea New York was so stunningly beautiful!  Lush, green hills, big old barns, the Adirondacks covered with fabulous Fall color, and tiny towns that, if you blinked, you’d miss them.  We stayed in a lovely Bed & Breakfast, Halcyon Farm, just outside of Amsterdam. Why Amsterdam?  Let’s call it a half way point between Cooperstown’s Baseball of Fame and Stockbridge, Massachusetts where the Norman Rockwell Museum is.  Halcyon Farm was beautifully restored by its owners, John and June.  We had the unique experience of being the only guests for the one night we stayed, so it allowed us to imagine what it would be like to live in a large, old house.  John and Jean kept us company as we ate breakfast and told us about how they’d found the farm, restored the house, and barely missed the devastating flooding caused by Irene.  Lovely people, and a lovely, quiet place to stay if you’re passing near Amsterdam, NY — the egg and cheese omelet served for breakfast alone is worth it.

We arrived in Stockbridge after spending the morning in Cooperstown saturating ourselves in all things baseball, and counting our blessings that it was a cold, rainy day because we almost had the museum to ourselves.  A half a Cubano sandwich courtesy of Danny’s Main Street Market Deli in Cooperstown enjoyed in the car helped keep the drive interesting since we had to take the freeway to make up for lost time.  A bit of slushy mix on the windshield also kept our attention considering the nature of our existence in sun-soaked San Diego.  We love wet, cold weather.  Driving in it, not so much.  But we made it to Stockbridge with only one missed turnoff, and thank goodness for the GPS on the iPad which helped us find a different route.  Too late to enjoy the Rockwell museum that afternoon, we strolled around the tiny town of Stockbridge and explored the old rambling Red Lion Inn where we stayed.  Full from lunch, sanity finally took hold of us and we skipped a full dinner, opting instead to share soup and a salad and to spend the evening in the Lion’s Den, a pub beneath the hotel.  A fire was lit in the fireplace, and music began at 8 pm.  Wine, conversation, and scanning a magazine of real estate prices in the Berkshires filled the time nicely, and for only the second time on our trip, we were able to crawl into bed without feeling as if we were geese stuffed for Christmas dinner.

A cold, drizzly morning greeted us, so we bundled up and headed around the block for coffee and buns at a tiny cafe with a less than cheery barista before setting out for the Rockwell museum a short drive away.  The museum was wonderful, of course.  Norman Rockwell’s illustrations of life in America have fascinated me since I was quite young.  When I was in high school, I wrote to him and he responded, which has always amazed me.  If I actually had a bucket list, I’d say that visiting the iconic Main Street of Stockbridge he painted so long ago has always been something I’ve wanted to do.  Check!

Back in the car by noonish, we headed for Mystic, Connecticut, our last stop.  We’d nearly made a complete circle on our trip and after all calculations made, figured we’d gone about 1,000 miles.  We stayed at the Steamboat Inn which sits right on the Mystic River near the very unusual bascule bridge.  Mystic is a small town and very easy to walk around with a main street that has some nice little shops.  We were lucky to have recommendations from the staff at our inn for dinner the two nights we’d be there, and it was Mystic’s very first Restaurant Week to boot.   The Captain Daniel Packer Inne had definitely packed people in downstairs in the pub, so we opted for dinner upstairs instead — also crowded, but a table was available and two fires kept the room nice and toasty.  The long stemmed stuffed artichokes to start were delicious, and again, we should have stopped there.  Our dinner portions were large and we had to eat very slowly to make any attempt at finishing.  Good food, good service, great atmosphere, big portions.  Big.

We drove to Newport, RI the next morning to visit two of the Newport Mansions, The Marble House and Breakers, and do a bit of walking in the perfectly clear, blue skies forever, bright, sunny day.  It was hard to believe that in less than 24 hours New England was going to get slammed with a huge snow storm, but by the evening, the sky had begun to take on a steely look, and it was pretty chilly outside.  Dinner at Bravo, Bravo just across the river from our inn was very good.  Thankfully the inn made reservations for us as the restaurant was quite full.  We squeezed into the standing room only area near the bar to wait for our table, marveling over how many people were crowded into such a small space.  Once seated after squeezing between tables, we decided to go with the half portion sampling menu being featured for Restaurant Week, sharing the dishes as we’d done at Michael’s on the Hill in Vermont.  The Polenta Torte was fabulous and something I’ve promised myself to make at home,  and the Champagne Risotto with Lobster and Asparagus also delicious.  We finished our portions and were happy to feel satisfied with the great flavors, but not full.

Our flight was leaving from Providence, RI later the next day, so we braved the chilly, drizzly weather to visit the Mystic Seaport Museum in the morning for a couple of hours.  Again, no one was there, so it was easy to go in and out of the exhibits and talk to the staff about whaling (gruesome), ship restoration (interesting), and forging (toasty warm) while wondering about the impending storm.  We made it out of Providence just fine, and for the first time ever, watched the wings of our plane being sprayed with deicing solution before take off.

At some point in flight, an elderly woman was experiencing breathing problems, so the attendants asked for medical assistance from the passengers.  The pilot announced we were taking a detour to allow the woman to get off the plane and we were met by paramedics when we made our unscheduled landing.  The entire ordeal took only an hour and we were back in the air headed to Phoenix wondering whether we’d make our connection to San Diego.  By the time we arrived we’d discovered that flights were being cancelled everywhere because of the storm we’d just missed, but we were able to get on a flight and get home not too much later than we’d originally planned — sans luggage — which was delivered the next day.

All in all, considering this was the first food lover’s road trip we’ve ever taken, we felt it went extremely well.  Neither of us threw food at the other!  As much as we enjoy our road trips — we’ve taken two through England and Wales — we think that settling into one place, or maybe two, and seeing more from there would allow us to do what a man we spoke with in England called vacationing instead of traveling.  We didn’t know there was a difference, but we think we’d like to find out.

I’ll have some recipes coming in the next few days as I get back to work.

Thanks for reading!