Oh what a year it's been (and a pumpkin bread pudding).

Tom sent me flowers at work!

On Sunday, Tom and I celebrated our 1-year wedding anniversary. And, I have to say, this has been the most hectic year yet. Which is why I am also here, begging your forgiveness for my 9-month hiatus. A lot has happened since my last post--which I'll explain in brief . 
After we sobered up from the Mardi Gras festivities, Tom and I decided to set some roots down in Mobile for at least a few more years--we bought a house. We decided to stay in in the Oakleigh neighborhood, where we were renting. It's a historic neighborhood, less than a mile from downtown and completely charming.  Full of live oaks and historic homes--we had to stay. We moved in on May 1st and ever since we've been painting, planting, updating, refinishing, and cleaning. Lots of cleaning. I'll post before and after photos in an upcoming post. But, here's a glimpse at what our house looked like when we moved in: 

We've made some epic changes, stay tuned.

During the downright hellish process of buying a house (apparently they don't just hand them out like they used to), my mother's health was in a serious decline. I flew up to visit her in the hospital in April, and I wish I had known that would be the last time I would see her. On the fourth of July, she passed away. I won't burden you with too much emotion, (because quite frankly I don't believe a blog is the appropriate forum for personal issues) but needless to say, I haven't felt like posting in the past few months. However, thanks to the support and encouragement ("are you ever going to post on your blog again"!?!?) from my husband and friends, I decided to rejoin the online community. And, what better way to return than with a super-indulgent bread pudding? 

I used a combination of two different recipes, one from Deb at Smitten Kitchen and another one I found on Epicurious. I started by cutting up a baguette on Saturday and leaving it out overnight. The bread was perfectly stale the next day. 

Rum and Bourbon? Yes please.

I followed Smitten Kitchen's lazy method by melting the butter in the oven while mixing the above cast of characters. I also decided to add some golden raisins and pecans to the dish--for texture--and I love pecans. 

I primarily followed the recipe from Smitten Kitchen, but I added the caramel sauce from the Epicurious recipe. I think it really set it over the top. And, what anniversary brunch is complete with out a  mimosa or two? Tom cooked some bacon as I was finishing the sauce and we sat down to one of the best brunches we've ever made...if I do say so myself. 

More Prosecco, please. 

Pumpkin Bread pudding: adapted from Smitten Kitchen
1 cup whole milk + 1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch of ground cloves
2 tablespoons bourbon
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans
5 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old baguette or crusty bread
1 stick unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.


While preheating oven to 350° melt butter in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Once it is melted (watch it, it will burn quickly), take it out of the oven and toss bread cubes with butter, coating thoroughly. In a separate bowl, whisk together all the remaining ingredients (except raisins and pecans) and pour over bread cubes. Add raisins and pecans and stir to make sure all the pieces are evenly coated. Bake until Custard is set, 25 to 30 minutes. 
While the bread is in the oven, make the following caramel sauce. You won't regret it. 


Caramel Sauce: nabbed from Epicurious
1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon dark rum

Heat the butter and the brown sugar in a heavy bottomed pot until the butter is melted. Add the cream and stir until all of the sugar has dissolved.Stir in rum. Keep warm and serve over bread pudding. Or, better yet, just eat it by the spoonful.

Christmas time.

He's got the spirit, do you?

I still don't believe that Christmas is only two days away. I'm usually on top of everything (gifts, cards, food) by mid-December. This isn't because I'm a planner (I'm famous for my procrastination), it's because I love all things Christmas. The music, the clothing, the decorations, and the overall spirit of giving (all while trying to avoid the mall...crazies). If you're looking for last minute gifts (especially if you're on the cheap, like us, "it's a Tiny Tim Christmas!"), and you're not interested in fighting for that last snuggie for two. I have a couple of suggestions that I tried to pass as gifts (warning, when I told a co-worker of said gifts, her response was "how cheap of you!" proceed with caution).

Fact: No one wants this.

Chocolate & Peppermint Bark Cookies adapted from Cookin' canuck who adapted it from Bon Appetit magizine

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 finely chopped peppermint candy canes (about 3 ounces)
2 oz. high-quality white chocolate

3 candy canes = about 1/2 cup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with parchment, letting it hang over the sides of the pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt and set aside. In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar. Continue to beat until the mixture is light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla extract and egg yolk. Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually beat in the flour mixture, until just combined. Do not overmix.

Scatter the dough over the bottom of the prepared pan and gently press it, with slightly moistened fingers (this is important, dough sticks to dry hands), to form a flat layer. Prick all over with a fork.

Bake the cookie layer until golden brown and slightly puffed, and edges are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, 25-30 minutes. Place on a cookie rack and immediately sprinkle chopped bittersweet or semisweet (or a combination of the two) over the cookie layer. Let the chocolate sit for about 3 minutes. Using an offset spatula (I don't have one of these, I found that the back of a large spoon works quite well), spread the chocolate into an even layer over the surface of the cookies. Immediately sprinkle crushed candy canes, over the chocolate layer.

Place chopped white chocolate in a medium metal bowl (I used a glass bowl, worked just as well) set over a simmering pot of water. Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Using a fork, drizzle the white chocolate over the peppermint candies. Chill for approximately 30 minutes.

Gripping the overhanging parchment paper, lift the cookies out of the pan and place on a work surface. Using a large, sharp knife, cut the cookies into irregular pieces. This can be stored in an airtight container in a refrigerator for one week.

Highly addictive, don't say I didn't warn you.

Italian-Herb Party Mix
Adapted from Noble Pig, who adapted from Cuisine at Home

For the party mix-
2 cups each: Chex Corn, Chex Rice and Chex Wheat cereal squares
2 cups mini pretzels*
1 cup peanuts

For the Butter-Spice Mixture-
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon each dried oregano, thyme, parsley
1/2 teaspoon each: red pepper flakes, salt, garlic powder and onion powder

For the Cheese-Herb Mixture-
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 250^o F.  Mix cereal, pretzels and nuts for the party mix in a large bowl; set aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add oil, vinegar, Worcestershire, Italian seasoning, pepper flakes, garlic salt, garlic powder and onion powder; stir to combine.

Off heat pour butter-spice mixture over party mix and keep tossing until it is fully coated.

Transfer party mix to a baking sheet.  Bake mix 1-1-1/4 hours (I did mine for 1 hour only), stirring every 15 minutes.

Combine Parmesan, basil and rosemary in a bowl, sprinkle over party mix and toss together while mix is still warm.  Cool mix on a baking sheet and store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

*For the pretzels you can use any shape, just make sure they are small, I went with the sticks.
**The recipe suggested using slivered almonds, I used peanuts because I love peanuts in party mixes, but any nuts will do.

Tie a little bow around this, and you have yourself a nice (albeit cheap) gift that everyone will enjoy. 

Happy holidays everyone!

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Sorry to be all about empty promises and let downs, but remember that post where I said that I'd be cooking Thanksgiving? Well, now it's looking like we're going to Tom's parents for the holiday (which is good, because I don't actually have any of the necessary Thanksgiving equipment, like a roasting pan, turkey baster, and a bottle of bourbon). I did get a chance to make one dish, for Tom's holiday party at work. I never actually tasted it, but I heard it went over pretty well.

This recipe comes from Rick Rogers, who is well known in the culinary world as a teacher, writer, and critic. He's written over 35 cookbooks, many of which are about holiday meals. I decided on his mashed potato casserole mainly because it was considered a "make ahead" dish. I knew Tom had to take it into work the next day and it would taste best out of the oven there. I included roasted garlic in the recipe to add some depth of flavor to the dish. I only added one head for fear of it being too garlicky (that's actually not possible for me, but I was cooking for others), but I think next time I would add two or three.  I apologize profusely for the photos. It was nighttime and my kitchen has some pretty terrible lighting.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes adapted from Rick Rogers Mashed Potato Casserole

Makes 8 to 12 servings
The casserole can be prepared up to 1 day ahead.

1 (or up to 3) head(s) of garlic
Olive oil for drizzling
5 pounds baking potatoes (such as russet, Idaho, Burbank, or Eastern)
Salt
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into chunks, at room temperature
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk, heated
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Chopped chives or parsley, for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Peel off the outer layers of the garlic, leaving the skins of the individual bulbs intact. Slice off the top 1/2" of the pointed end, exposing the individual garlic cloves. Place garlic on aluminum foil and drizzle 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil over the bulb and let it sink in between the cloves. Cover the clove with the aluminum foil and bake on a baking sheet from 45-60 minutes, or until the cloves are browned and soft throughout. Remove from oven and set aside.
2. Fill a large pot (at least 5 quarts) halfway with cold water. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1"chunks and drop them into the pot. Add more cold water to cover the potatoes by 1 to 2 inches.
3. Stir in enough salt until the water tastes mildly salty. Cover tightly and bring to a full boil over high heat, allowing at least 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and set the lid askew. Cook at a moderate boil until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a small, sharp knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Do not overcook the potatoes.
4. Drain the potatoes well and return to the warm pot. Stir over low heat to release more steam, about 2 minutes. Remove the individual garlic cloves from their skins (I found it works best to just squeeze them out), and add them to the pot. Also add the cream cheese and butter. Using a hand-held electric mixer, mash the potatoes until the cream cheese and butter melt. Beat in the sour cream and milk. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Transfer to a buttered 9 X 13-inch baking dish. Cool completely. (The potatoes can be prepared up 4 hours ahead, covered loosely with plastic wrap, and stored at cool room temperature, or cool, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 1 day.)
5. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Bake until the potatoes are heated through 30 to 40 minutes. Serve hot, sprinkled with the chives, if using.

enjoy!

Mushroom Casserole

"Cold" is a relative term here in the deep south. When the high temperature drops below 75°, jackets, hats, and scarves slowly emerge out of winter storage and onto the streets. I'm not one to judge though,  I'll bust out a scarf at any given opportunity. That, and I'm pretty sure I've adjusted to the weather here...to the point that my fingers start to turn blue at 55°-60° (I still act like I'm "cold-weather tough" though). Anyway, the temperatures have started to drop, and Thanksgiving is upon us, which can only mean one thing: casserole season.

Mushrooms in a dimly lit kitchen + high ISO, delicious!

Few things are more comforting than a well made casserole. I'm pretty particular about my casseroles, I'm not big on taking too many short cuts, I prefer it to be as "from scratch" as possible (granted, that's easier because I don't have kids), and Heidi's recipes over at 101cookbooks usually come through. My main complaint about her recipes is that she (unfortunately) frequently uses ingredients that are hard to come by in Mobile. She has so many recipes that I would LOVE to try, I've just had a difficult time finding all of the ingredients, but I adapt where I can. However, this is one recipe that simple, delicious and easily customizable. You can add nuts (especially roasted pine nuts, which I want to try next time), greens, or even chicken. It takes a bit of time, so you will need to set a good two hours aside (unless you have brown rice already cooked), but it's definitely worth it.

so good!

Mushroom Casserole adapted from 101cookbooks

1/2 pound (8 ounces) brown mushrooms (I used baby Portabellas), cleaned and chopped
1 large onion, well chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups cooked brown rice
2 large eggs
1 cup Ricotta cheese (the original recipe calls for cottage cheese, which I was out of, so I used Ricotta. I think I liked the Ricotta better, it was creamier)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
a bit of fresh tarragon, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a medium-large baking dish (smaller than 9x13) with a bit of olive oil and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat saute the mushrooms in a spoonful of coconut oil (better than olive oil for medium-high heat cooking) sprinkled with a couple pinches of salt. Stir occasionally until the mushrooms have released their liquid and have browned a bit. Add the onions and cook for another 4 or 5 minutes or until they are translucent. Stir in the garlic, cook for another minute and remove from heat. Add the rice to the skillet and stir until combined.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, Ricotta cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper.

Combine the rice mixture and cheese mixture in a large bowl, stir until well combined and then turn out into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 2/3 of the Parmesan cheese, cover with foil and place in oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20 or 30 minutes more or hot throughout and golden along the edges. Sprinkle with the chopped tarragon and the remaining Parmesan.

Serves about 8.

Gator belts and FETA melts and Monte Carlo's...

It's been a hectic three weeks since the last post. Classes have
started again at South Alabama, so I've had to get back into the swing
of things like setting up the syllabus, creating labs, grade-book,
etc...oh and the lab books aren't in yet? Awesome. Luckily, I only
have one class this semester, with a total of 9 students, so it's a
pretty intimate class. They seem like an intelligent group so far as
well, hopefully I can transform all of them into geography majors (as,
that's always my ultimate goal).

We have a little over a month left until the wedding, so we're trying
to nail down all of the remaining details. We mailed out the
invitations on Monday and we are finally getting everything together
for wedding gifts and music (and if you have any suggestions, feel
free to let us know here:
http://www.mywedding.com/tomandannie/music.html we want the music to
help create a casual, relaxed atmosphere, where no one feels confined
to a table or the dance floor, we encourage wandering). With
everything going on, I haven't had much time for blogging.


Recently though, with the start of September and of classes, a slight
drop in temperatures and humidity, I am reminiscent of early fall in
Fredericksburg. The Mary Washington campus was gorgeous in autumn, the
brick facades and sidewalks in coordination with the changing of
leaves was breathtaking. Thoughts of autumn in the Mid-Atlantic
conjure up memories of apple orchards, bonfires, scarves, and pumpkin
picking. It's really the only season that makes me long for life in
the north. Sure, there are times here and there that I miss it...but
nothing pulls at my heartstrings like autumn....it's just not the same
down here (although, it IS the start of festival season...that in
itself is reason to celebrate, once that starts I'm sure I'll post
about it).





So, as a tribute to fall in Fredericksburg, I'm posting a remake of my
favorite sandwich at my favorite downtown restaurant: Sammy
T's, with a side of my first-time-ever kale chips. I wanted to get
fresh, local ingredients for these sandwiches, and I wanted an excuse
to go to Fairhope, so Tom and I ventured over to the Windmill Market
in Fairhope. We've heard a lot about it on the radio, read the ads in
the Lagniappe, etc. It's described as an open-air market that sells
fresh and local produce, dairy, and meat. These are all true, but it's
totally overrated. I felt like it was more of an open-air craft fair
that just happened to have some local produce (all I saw were
tomatoes, peaches, sweet potatoes, lemons and limes). They did have a
large selection of meats, but it was mostly pork and beef products,
which we weren't interested in at the time. I should give the meats a
try but overall, it wasn't worth the hour drive. I would probably
frequent it if it were located in Mobile (we did buy some peaches and
tomatoes and they were delicious), but it's just currently too small
of an operation for the drive. I'd really like to see Mobile get
something similar. It's definitely in high demand.

Anyway, because the tomatoes we purchased weren't quite ripe, we were
unsuccessful in buying anything that's actually used in this recipe,
but it's delicious none the less.

Luckily, I had one sole-surviving eggplant (the rest were sadly eaten...and not by us). I couldn't wait to use it.

Looks delicious right? It was. Now I want more. Anyway, the first thing you want to do it chop the eggplant into cubes along with some portabello mushrooms.

Also, chop up some onion, tomato, and green peppers. Saute the eggplant and mushrooms until soft.
Spread some Dijon and mayonnaise on toast and stack all of the ingredients. Grate fresh mozzarella and throw some feta chunks on top. The more cheese, the merrier. It's a proven live motto.

Stacked and ready for the melt-down.
Place the stacks under the broiler until the cheese has melted.
Don't forget about the kale chips

 This was before...when the kale was soft, and terribly bitter.

 

This was after, when the oven magically transforms the kale into a crunchy, salty, delicious snack. Try it right now.

Open-Faced Feta Melts

(adapted from Sammy T's menu)
1 small eggplant, chopped           

1 cup sliced baby portabello mushrooms

1/2 cup diced onions                    

1/2 chopped green peppers
1/2c diced tomato (we sadly left this off, none were ripe!)
1/4 c freshly shredded mozzarella       

1/4 c feta
2 tbs Dijon mustard and 2tbs good mayonnaise
2 slices of good multi-grain bread, toasted

Preheat the broiler on low. Start by sauteing the eggplant and the
mushrooms in 2tbs oil (we use coconut oil because it works well at
high temperatures, but you're free to use whatever you prefer).
Meanwhile, combine the Dijon and mayonnaise in a separate bowl. Spread
the Dijon sauce over each piece of toast. When the eggplant and
mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes, layer the mixture on top of the
bread. Add the peppers, onions, tomatoes, mozzarella, and feta. Pile
it high, it's delicious. Place the slices under the broiler for about
2 minutes, or when the cheese has melted, watch carefully! You don't
want it to burn. Serve with sweet potato fries, or in our case, kale
chips. We used Smitten Kitchen's recipe with curly leaf kale.

I hope ya'll enjoy and have a great labor day weekend!

xoxoox

Annie